


I will play my ace (just in time and in the right place)

by themythishuman



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic, Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, andrew basically adopts nicaise, captive prince au, neil will be nathaniel for a long time, riko being a piece of shit, sorry about that, sort of, the twinyards being revolutionaries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2018-11-29 13:14:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11441646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themythishuman/pseuds/themythishuman
Summary: The palace had been his mentor, hiding him behind those blood red curtains and spiralling its wind, overflowing with hushed words and secret conversations, to Nathaniel's ears. The palace had been, was and would always be his ally -even now, while he was preparing to leave it behind.orThe Captive Prince AU where Andrew and Laurent make a pair of odd, blond allies, Nathaniel was not part of the plan and, well, vive la révolution.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, this is my first fic! Some of the events will follow captive prince canon story, but Andrew and Neil's presence will also make things a bit (a lot) different.  
> Enjoy!

It was cold up north, it was always so, so cold and Nathaniel could never really tell the change from a season to another. The days passed by in the haze of a perpetual winter, through cold touches and warm fires. He liked it here, though. Vere was the only thing he new, so maybe it wasn't really a matter of likeness, but attending court since he was twelve had taught him better than to go and complain about trivial things such as  his unsatisfied wanderlust and deeply rooted curiousness.

The palace really was one of those places that felt like a living and breathing creature: its corridors like a maze's, its high ceilings and glorious arcades, its over-the-top, majestic decorations. Everything was a blur of richness and gold and too much, but Nathaniel couldn't deny that feeling in his lower belly when he first walked through the doors of the palace, that feeling of awe and respect.

The palace had been his mentor, hiding him behind those blood red curtains and spiralling its wind -overflowing with hushed words and secret conversations- to Nathaniel's ears. The palace had been, was and would always be his ally -even now, while he was preparing to leave it behind.

**_One month before_ **

Laurent had come to him, this time. The man -because that was what he had become- was standing in front of the fireplace, his blonde hair and fair skin reflecting the dancing flames that bathed the room in a warm, welcoming light.

Always impeccably dressed, as it was costume between Veretians, Laurent had entered the room with a set jaw and wild eyes, his hands closed into fists. Nathaniel had had the chance to see the Prince like this more than a few times and, in those moments, he couldn't help but remember him as a boy, beautiful like one only was at fifteen, with sweet features and a sweet body. That Laurent -Laurent as a boy- was Nathaniel's favourite Laurent, that time when there was still a trace of innocence, of naivety and genuine happiness in him cherished in Nathaniel's heart for as long as he'd let it.

"Your highness."

Playfully bowed Nathaniel, trying to lighten up the sudden, tense mood that entered the room with Laurent.

"I'm not in the mood, Nathaniel." Replied sharply the Prince, his eyes scanning the walls, looking for something that wasn't there, something that surely wasn't concrete.

"What happened?" Wondered the boy, a frown on his face.

During these times, it was hard to deal with someone like Laurent: he was better off alone, left to himself and his thoughts, but for some unbelievable reason the Prince had come to him. His visits used to be frequent two or three years before, but now Laurent seemed to close in on himself more often than not and Nathaniel thought he'd become one of those mere pets the Prince didn't even deem worthy of a glance in the corridors.

"Laurent," sighed Nathaniel, helpless "you haven't been speaking to me in the past year, what happened?"

The man turned around slowly, his blue eyes focused on everything but Nathaniel's pale blue ones. He took a deep breath, his shoulders shaking almost imperceptibly, and lifted his gaze.

"I suppose I owe you an apology, but I am aware you aren't expecting one, are you?"

"No, I am not."

"Then I will not apologise."

And that was only typical of him, Nathaniel had known it would come, though. He knew Laurent, at least as much as Laurent let himself be known, but they had shared some of their worst and their best times and Nathaniel had to admit he did have the luck of meeting Laurent during a time in his life when the Prince still seemed to be able to feel.

"The slaves from Akielos have arrived." Simply said Laurent.

Nathaniel nodded at him to continue, immediately recognising the ill tone Laurent had used to mention the name of that enemy reign.

"He is here."

There was a moment of silence during which Nathaniel let those cold, hard words sink in.

"That is not possible."

"It is, Nathaniel. Trust me, it is."

~

Laurent was right, there was no doubt the man kneeling now next to the Prince was him. Albeit older, stronger and wiser looking, he had the same Akielon features. The dark eyes and olive skin, the long lashes and sculptured body, it was _Damianos, prince-killer._

And he had just been thrown into the ring.

Nathaniel couldn't keep his eyes off him, but neither could Riko and that was a point in his favour. With Riko being as interested as he was in the outcome of this challenge -this game Nathaniel knew Laurent was playing- the boy could relax and focus on what was happening in the ring without having to attend his owner.

Riko had owned him since he was sixteen, so that would be almost one year and a half and Nathaniel couldn't deny they had been the worst months of his life. He didn't like Riko, he hated him. The man seemed to think of him as a slave, not a pet and Nathaniel could do nothing but take and take and take. When Laurent had stopped talking to him, that was the moment Riko had sunk his claws in his skin and Nathaniel, well, he couldn't count on the Prince anymore.

He was aware that misbehaving and have Riko renounce on him in some way -any way- would lead to an exile from the court and he couldn't afford that. The court was everything to him, it was his home and he would endure Riko and all his mistreatments in order to keep his life and his place at court.

Nathaniel shook his head, ridding himself of those thoughts, and returned his gaze to the ring. The ring. The place he hated the most in the world, the place he feared the most. Nathaniel himself had been forced into the ring the year before, when Riko had decided to test his new toy. Nathaniel hadn't spoken for three days. But this wasn't him, this wasn't small, scrawny, sixteen year old Nathaniel; this was Damianos, prince-killer and it was no surprise when he managed to knock out Govart and win his round. He did not take the man, he did not exult. He simply walked to Laurent and kneeled at this feet, saying something Nathaniel could not here from his afar seat.

"Go fetch me a goblet of wine." Ordered Riko.

Nathaniel slowly got up, his earrings clicking as he moved forward, and made his way to the farthest corner of the room, right before the entrance door. He had just spotted the golden carafe when he heard a thump coming from behind the ajar entrance door. And Nathaniel, Nathaniel had always been too curious for his own good, so he cast a glance to his seat, finding Riko deep in conversation with a Veretian man Nathaniel did not recognise.

With his heart in his throat and his hands sweating, Nathaniel slid out of the room and found himself at the end of the long corridor leading to one of the small cloisters situated inside the palace. At first, he didn't hear anything except for the low rumble that escaped the room he had just exited. Then, he saw a figure shift with the corner of his eye and turned around carefully.

At first glance, it might have seemed like a curtain shifting to the wind of an open window, but when Nathaniel took a step forward and allowed himself to look a bit closer, he recognised unmistakably the shadowed silhouettes of two men hidden between an open door and a curtain. Nathaniel realised he was moving only when he found himself standing a few feet from the two men, being able to hear what they were saying with hushed voices and aborted gestures.

"I am telling you, Andrew, you can't keep this up for long. They will find out."

"They won't." Stated a second voice. "Besides, there is nothing else I can do. We have a deal: you trust me with this and we will be out of this place sooner than you think." Added the same voice.

Nathaniel could feel the gears in his brain starting to twirl, what were they talking about? Nathaniel knew everything about the court, about its life and the people who came and went. He knew every single thing that had happened and was happening and would happen and- and he didn't know what _this_ was. He didn't know these people and he didn't understand a single thing they were saying.

"This is the point, Andrew. I don't know if I want to go."

"Excuse me?"

"I have a life here, a family. I don't think I'll be able to leave them behind."

"We have a deal!" Almost shouted the second voice, causing Nathaniel to jump and go crashing against one of the ceramic vases that seemed to be hidden in every crevice of the palace.

It was with a loud crash and an even louder gasp that Nathaniel revealed himself to the two men, who turned around with a startle. Their eyes widened when they spotted Nathaniel standing between the sparse, cutting shards of the broken vase.

He was speechless, looking at the men with wide eyes and uncertainty. It was obvious that he had heard every single word those men were telling each other and Nathaniel knew that his status as a mere pet would only indulge them to shut him up. For good. The only person he could count on was Laurent, but it was still hard for him to trust the Prince after an entire year of complete silence. After all, Laurent had permitted Riko's ownership over him, there was nothing certain about a man like him. Nathaniel was so lost in his thoughts, in all the possible things that could happen to him, that he didn't even realise when one of the men came forward and approached him carefully. Everything was silent for a few seconds.

"How long have you been standing there?" Asked the man Nathaniel recognised as Andrew, something silver flashing in his grip.

Nathaniel felt hyper aware of his proximity to the man, of how easy it would be for him to grab Nathaniel, turn him in his grip and slice his throat open.

"I asked you a question." Spit the man.

Nathaniel came back to himself and opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came out of it.

"I-I... I just arrived, I was not eavesdropping."

It was only a second after those words left his lips that he recognised his own mistake. Andrew did, too.

"What is your name? That you are a pet I understand, I can see it." Started the man gesturing to the pearls carefully intertwined in his curls. "What I do not understand is how you dare eavesdrop on a conversation you are not part of."

Nathaniel felt his hands start to shake.

"My name is Nathaniel, I did not mean to listen to your conversation, sir. I was just looking for my owner." Lied the boy, hoping that Andrew wouldn't deem him worthy enough of all the trouble that would come with taking care of him.

The man stayed silent for a bit, as if assessing all his options, as if running through the words that were exchanged to try and find something that might have given him away.

"Well, there is nothing special about what you heard. I will take you back to your owner and explain the situation, he will arrange your punishment as he pleases. You are to not eavesdrop on me ever again, do you understand?"

Nathaniel swallowed, his blood gone cold at the mention of 'owner' and 'punishment'. He nodded anyway.

"Yes, I understand sir."

It was in that exact moment that the door to the ring room burst open. The yellowish light coming from the room hid the figure standing in front of it but, even when his body was nothing but a shadow, Nathaniel could recognise Riko. It didn't take him long to localise his pet and the two men and it took him even less to stomp his way in front of Nathaniel and grab his arm roughly.

"Where have you been? You little whore, I give you an order and you disappear?"

He was shouting and Nathaniel could feel shame tint his cheeks. He didn't dare look at Riko in the eyes, so he kept his gaze on the floor, taking every word the man threw at him.

"I am sorry, sir. I sincerely apologise for my behaviour." Whispered Nathaniel, his usual bright tone now replaced with shaky words.

"And what were you doing here exactly?" Asked Riko annoyed, his eyes flying from Nathaniel to Andrew, the other man seemed to have disappeared. 

It was then that Andrew took a step forward and acknowledged Nathaniel and Riko, but his eyes fell on Nathaniel first. He looked at him for a few seconds, deep and unwavering. His face was inexpressive and unimpressed. Then, he spoke.

"It was my fault. I slipped and broke the vase, your pet heard the noise and thought I might be hurt. It was thoughtful."

Nathaniel had to repress a shudder as shock and relief flood through his body. He didn't know this man and he didn't know why he had lied for him, what he knew was that he was in debt with him. And he didn't like it, not one bit.

~

The next morning, Nathaniel rose with heavy limbs and a headache. He hadn't been able to sleep the previous night, thoughts of the shadow-man -Andrew- and his words swirling in his brain, preventing him from falling asleep. After Riko had finished with him, Nathaniel was left naked and exhausted, sprawled between the linen sheets with nothing to do but relive his encounter with Andrew on loop.

There was something odd about the man, but Nathaniel couldn't seem to put his finger on it. What he was certain of, though, was that Andrew was not like any men Nathaniel had met in his life, not even Laurent had ever lied on his behalf. The thought that he might now owe Andrew had something unpleasant twist in Nathaniel's stomach.

He knew men, he had been a pet long enough for his brain to adapt to that peculiar logic that seemed to be the only thing working at court: survival is logics. Nathaniel'd had the best teacher, he remembered days spent in Laurent's rooms, naked from the waist down in the hurry of the moment and a pink mouth spelling all his tricks into Nathaniel's ears. Nathaniel knew men and he was aware that someone like Andrew had to be smart, that could only mean he would not wait much before entering Nathaniel's life and take what the boy had unconsciously promised him the previous night.

Nathaniel hated admitting it, but he was scared of what this Andrew might ask of him. Life had never been easy for Nathaniel, he had never asked for his life at court, but now that he had it he couldn't go back. The point was that Nathaniel had never had the nature typical of a pet: since he was a child he had always been quite rebellious, had always aspired to great things. Except that he was a boy, a poor boy with no mother, a father he didn't dare even think about and one of the prettiest faces around.

Do not get him wrong, Nathaniel was aware that the life of a pet was not that terrible. Au contraire, the life of a pet was full of advantages and luxuries, and the boy had had a taste of it during his first years at the Palace, but that hadn't lasted long. Fifteen had been a year of transition, an owner that did not particularly care about him but enjoyed having someone with painted lips and stones twined in his hair attending him quietly.

After, Riko had made his appearance at court, arriving with a reputation and a cunning smile. Nathaniel remembered asking after Laurent; he remembered addressing that one guard the Prince had instructed and having his request denied; he remembered walking back to his old chambers, trying to keep himself from displaying his delusion, and being stopped dead in his tracks only to be led in Riko's rooms with a heavy heart and a lump in his throat. He didn't like remembering what had come after that.

The life of a pet was not that bad at all, but it was in the hands of one's owner and Nathaniel had not been lucky. Sometimes, though, luck seemed to find its way to Nathaniel, too, so it was with pleasure that the boy found Riko gone at his awakening.

He washed and dressed, painted his lips and carefully adjusted the white pearls in his curls. Nathaniel knew he was to wait for Riko in the gardens and when the man would come back from work, they would dine together and spend the evening in their rooms, much to Nathaniel's displeasure. As much as he despised those evenings in the ring room or the gardens, when every courtesan and their pets would gather and assist to performances, from games to dances, Nathaniel had to admit the lesser time he spent alone with Riko, the best.

The boy exited Riko's rooms with a steady walk, wandering the maze-like corridors of the Palace on his own, but he was not left alone for long.

"Nathaniel, long time no see."

Nathaniel recognised that tone in a heartbeat and had to repress an eye roll, slowly turning to face the voice.

"Nicaise." Nodded the boy, resuming his walk.

Unluckily, Nicaise seemed to have taken his acknowledgement as an invitation to join him in his morning activities.

"I heard you got Riko quite mad last night." Smirked Nicaise while Nathaniel swallowed his distaste for the boy walking alongside him and put on his best smile.

"Actually, I did not. In fact it seems like lately news at the Palace are proved wrong more often than not, am I right?"

Nicaise scoffed, it was easy to be reminded of his young age while talking to him. The boy was only fourteen, beautiful in a boyish way that was undeniable and smart as a fox. Nicaise was only fourteen, though, and when his smart mind met his childish ways, the boy reminded Nathaniel of a young Laurent. When he had met the Prince, Nathaniel had been only twelve and mostly scared; needless to say that charming, smart Laurent had made a certain impression.

"You are not wrong, but it does not sound much unlikely that you would misbehave. It has happened a few times already, am I wrong?"

Nathaniel stopped dead in his tracks, Nicaise's insolence making his blood boil. He turned to the boy with hard eyes and a derisive smirk on his lips.

"You know, Nicaise," started Nathaniel "you are just a younger version of me. It will be over soon, he will leave you and you know it."

Nicaise flinched at his words.

"You know nothing!" Insisted Nicaise. " I am not like the others, you are just a jealous bitch, you have always been."  
Nathaniel felt his breathing get heavier and his hands balling into fists.

"Oh and why would I ever be jealous of you? You are nothing but a deluded child, but maybe not that much of child anymore, are you?"

Nicaise seemed on the cusp of exploding, his eyes flaming with a murderous gaze.

"Of course you are jealous! You lost him because he preferred me and then you lost Laurent, too, because he preferred me. You think nobody knows about you and him? You think nobody noticed how he decided you weren't worthy of him anymore and started treating you like you deserve, like someone so plain normal?" Spat Nicaise. "But he likes me, Nathaniel. He decided I was worthy of him, we play games and pretend to fight each other but we both know, dear _Nate_ , that if I were to enter his rooms one of these nights, he would bed me in a heart beat. Who knows, maybe you weren't that good between the sheets anymore."

Nathaniel was fighting back tears, this child, this snake in front of him could have put Laurent to shame. His words cut too deep for Nathaniel to ignore them as he had always done, Nicaise seemed to know each one of Nathaniel's deepest insecurities and he enjoyed watching him squirm. Nicaise fed off Nathaniel's shame-tinted cheeks and glistening eyes, he enjoyed playing with him, knowing that he would always have the upper hand as long as he kept his tongue sharp.

Maybe it was one of Nathaniel's qualities or maybe it was one of his flaws, but if there was one thing that the boy could not do, it was purposefully hurt someone who could not defend themselves. That had been done to him enough times as a child that only thinking of becoming like his father made him sick. It took him a few seconds to compose himself.

"It upsets me that you believe you need to be so heartless and cold in order to prove yourself to others. I am very sorry Nicaise, but I could never be jealous of someone like you."

And with that, Nathaniel spun around and continued on his path, leaving behind a boy with a blue earring and a tongue too sharp for his own good.

~

It happened when he was in the gardens waiting for Riko, sat on a stone bench with a straight back and crossed legs, the perfect posture. He was observing himself closely on the surface of the small pond situated to his left, he used to be beautiful and he knew it. He used to have skin as soft as a petal and curls as tight as springs, he used to be smaller and thinner, his eyes had looked bigger on his face and his lips fuller. And his jewels, God he used to have the most beautiful, luxurious jewels at court. They adorned his body in elegant, sparkling lines, stones so precious they were worth a real fortune.

People did not normally wear ornaments, it was typical of pets here in Vere. When a pet proved himself to be a good servant, loyal and submissive, well mannered and charming, he was rewarded. Jewels and painted skin were some sort of symbol, the proof of a life vowed to serving and, as most people might crudely call it, being a prostitute.

Now, as Nathaniel regarded his reflection, he could barely recognise himself: the only spurt of colour on his face were his emerald earrings and white pearls -the only things Riko had deemed him worthy of receiving; the rest of his face was dark, his eyes, mouth, skin and hair were sullen, he looked weak and ill. He used to be beautiful and now he looked like a fading portrait of his younger self.

He was so deep in his thoughts and self critics that he barely noticed when another man sat himself on the bench next to him. He jumped slightly when he realised there was a body to his right and his heart rose in his throat when he recognised him as Andrew from the other night. He forced himself to remain composed and placid.

"I knew you would come." Spoke calmly Nathaniel, his gaze fixated on the brushes in front of him, unwavering.

"Did you?" Asked Andrew, a hint of amusement in his tone.

Nathaniel turned towards the man carefully and simply nodded. Andrew was different in the afternoon light, the night before Nathaniel had been too caught up in the risky situation to take a good look at him. Now, though, the sun shone bright over his skin, illuminating every crevice of his body. His hazel eyes and blond hair created a strong contrast when paired with the pale colour of his skin. Nathaniel thought he didn't look Veretian at all.

"Well, you were right then. I came to speak to you about last night."

"You needn't have worried," interrupted Nathaniel "I already know how to keep my mouth shut."

Andrew seemed a bit taken aback by those harsh words, but he didn't let the surprise affect his reasoning and shook his head.

"I know better than to trust someone like you, I want your word. I want an oath."

Nathaniel felt his blood go cold, an oath was something to be taken seriously and he did not think this story would come to this.

"My word? An oath? I honestly feel quite offended, one would not think of a mere accident like last night's to cause such a reaction." Retorted Nathaniel, but Andrew was firmer on the matter than he let on.

"I can see you are a smart boy, Nathaniel, and a smart boy could interpret those words you heard in many ways. Now tell me, am I wrong?"

Nathaniel sighed and shifted his gaze to the brush once again, unable to look at the man in the eyes when he found himself not able to read them.

"You are not wrong, but I fail to see why these words we are speaking about carry so much importance." Admitted the boy.

"They simply do. Now, may I have your word that you will not ever speak a word about the conversation you eavesdropped to anyone, or do I have to remind you of last night events? Maybe even have your owner called over."

Nathaniel set his jaw, this man was threatening him as he had foreseen. Nathaniel was not so naive to believe an action like lying on a pet's behalf would go unnoticed and not be held against him.

"You have my word, but you must know I do not trust you."

Andrew laughed, his eyes tingling in the afternoon warm light.

"We will see each other soon, Nathaniel." And with a two finger salute, he disappeared.

~

The next morning, when Nathaniel opened his eyes, Riko was gone again. The boy sighed in relief, his body aching all over as he pushed himself in a sitting position. Once his eyes finally adjusted to the bright light coming from one of the windows, he realised he was not alone in the room and a gasp left his lips without his consent.

"You are awake." Stated Laurent sat on the armchair next to the fireplace, a spot he seemed to have taken a liking to.

"Good morning, Laurent."

Silence stretched as the Prince rose to his feet and walked over the bed, sitting at its foot. Nathaniel was wary, he had lost his trust in Laurent long ago.

"If I may ask, why are you here?" He asked the Prince.

Laurent's expression was stone cold, his eyes falling on everything in the room except Nathaniel himself.

"I wanted to see you, is it that hard to believe?"

And at that, Nathaniel couldn't help but scoff. Laurent looked at him immediately, calm and collected while Nathaniel rolled his eyes unthinkingly. If it had been someone else, he would have already been condemned to the flog; but it was _Nate_ , and the boy knew that Laurent would treat him as his equal for as long as he'd live.

"What makes you laugh so much?" Asked bitterly Laurent.

"The fact that we haven't talked in a year and only two days ago you came in my rooms to spill everything about your new slave without even bothering to ask how I was. And now -now you say you wanted to see me?"

Laurent was keeping himself from lashing out, Nathaniel could see that. He was trying to remind himself that Nathaniel was not some random pet at court, but the months spent avoiding him might have clouded his abilities of distinguishing a friend from a foe.

"I already told you I will not apologise."

Nathaniel nodded slowly, a grimace on his face.

"You did, but that doesn't mean I wasn't hoping for it." Silence. "Would you at least tell me why? Why did you stop talking to me, why did you leave me alone?"

Laurent looked pained, it was so rare to see him display any kind of emotion these days that his reaction completely stunned Nathaniel.

"I -I was scared."

That made it worse.

"You? You were scared?" Spat Nathaniel, memories of rough hands and slaps flooding his brain. "I needed you!" Exploded Nathaniel. "I needed you and you weren't there."

Laurent turned to look at him dead in the eyes, Nathaniel felt a hand on his ankle through the slippery silk of the sheets.

"I'm sorry." Whispered Laurent and Nathaniel was left speechless. Maybe it was okay after all, maybe it really was.

After that, they talked for over a hour, the past coming back at them in waves, their quiet laughs sounding sincere and genuine in the room. Nathaniel knew what people said of Laurent, he knew they thought him cold and frigid, an ice statue. Nathaniel couldn't deny the almost truthfulness of those words, but Laurent was only human after all. He couldn't keep all his emotions bottled up inside himself, he needed someone to be himself with, someone who would understand him. It had always been like this, since they were twelve and fifteen.

Even as a kid Laurent had been quite reserved, especially after his brother's death, and Nathaniel had arrived at court at the right moment. He had been there for the Prince since day one and their friendship had grown and grown over the years until Nathaniel turned fourteen. At seventeen, Laurent had grown into a man, he wasn't a blond, skinny looking boy anymore. His body had been changing, he was getting stronger and taller.

In hindsight, Nathaniel would admit Laurent had been a late bloomer, but in comparison to Nathaniel, who still had most of his boyish looks at seventeen, he had looked like a man. That had been a curse because Nathaniel had started to look at him under a different light, he had often caught himself admiring Laurent's toned chest and lithe body. The prince, on his part, had begun to recognise Nathaniel's charm, his elegant ways and teasing moves. After all, Nathaniel already was a pet back then and it had been impossible for him not to behave like the seducer he was supposed to be. It had been clear that Laurent had needed to feel in control after what had happened with -well, Nathaniel could understand him.

It hadn't taken them long to start fooling around like only teenagers can, with haste and eagerness, hungry and insatiable. They knew there was no love between them, at least not the type of love different from two friends', but it was undeniable that the time spent between the sheets had made them even closer than before. Maybe that was why it had hurt so much when Laurent had left him behind. He wouldn't dwell on it anymore, though.

"There is something wrong with you." Said Laurent, suddenly serious.

"There is nothing wrong with me." Sighed Nathaniel, taking the Prince's hand between his.

"You are hurting, I saw it the moment I walked into the room. Did you fall or something?" Laurent's face was in a frown, he eyes narrowed at Nathaniel.

"There is nothing wrong with me, period." Insisted Nathaniel.

Except that there was something wrong with him, indeed there was. Last night had been a nightmare, Riko had not held back and now Nathaniel had to bear the signs of his violence.

"Tell me." Ordered Laurent, knowing Nathaniel well enough to tell when he was lying through his teeth.

The boy closed his eyes, pondering his options.

"It's Riko, you know how it is. He seems to think of me as a slave more than a pet."

Laurent's expression was frantic.

"You know yours it's a contract, right? If he's hurting you-"

"You know fully well what my contract entails." Interrupted him Nathaniel. "You know I didn't really have a choice. I still don't."

"But I do!" Burst out Laurent.

Everything went silent then, Laurent's breathing echoing loudly through the walls. Nathaniel breathed in deeply, squeezing Laurent's hand.

"You do have a choice, just not in any matter that might concern me."

Laurent nodded, his outburst long forgotten.

"I know, I am sorry."

"Don't be sorry." Reassured him Nathaniel. "I just need you not to disappear again, I don't -I don't think I could stand it this time." Whispered the boy, suddenly feeling more than a bit self conscious.

"I won't, I promise." And then, as if the past year had never existed, Laurent embaraced him tightly against his chest.

~

They had gone for a relaxing walk in the gardens when Laurent revealed the real reason he had come to Nathaniel.

"I had him flogged today."

Nathaniel stopped dead in his tracks.

"What?"

Laurent looked at him unimpressed.

"You heard me. He deserved it." Explained the Prince calmly. 

Luckily, Nathaniel had never had the chance to even near the flogging post, but he did have an idea about what happened in that place. It was not pleasant, that was for sure.

"What did he do to deserve a flogging?" Asked Nathaniel, wary.

Laurent's expression hardened, something dark and unpleasant clouded his eyes.

"He killed my brother."

Nathaniel breathed in harshly, images of a crying Laurent in his arms began to swim through his brain. He had never met Auguste, he had arrived at the palace long after his death, but he had met post-Auguste-death Laurent and that was enough. Laurent used to talk a lot about his brother, he would rant for hours to Nathaniel about his courage and his honesty and his loyalty. With each year that passed, though, he had stopped allowing himself the pleasure of remembering Auguste and had found himself caught up in a spiral of anger and revenge.

"I know that, what did he do?" Insisted Nathaniel.

"I asked him to attend me in the baths, he got quite carried away."

He had planned it, if there was one thing that Nathaniel could never doubt of Laurent, it was his brains. The Prince was brilliant in such a sick way that only those who were close to him could recognise.

"It angered my uncle." Continued Laurent.

"We both know your uncle does not care about mere things such as slaves."

"Yes, but my uncle cares about Damianos of Akielos."

Laurent was right, if the Regent knew about Damen's identity as the Prince believed he did, then there had to be more about this story.

"Tell me." Simply said Nathaniel.

"You know I cannot." Sighed Laurent.

"You used to tell me everything, Laurent. I want to know, I want to help."

There was something going own at the Palace, first Damianos' arrival, then Andrew and his hushed words, and now this. Laurent was keeping something from him and he needed to know what it was.

"My priority is keeping you safe, you will not be made a part of this."

It was unfair, Laurent letting him know that there was indeed something kept secret between the halls of the Palace, but denying him the right to know what it concerned was only meant to fuel Nathaniel's curiosity.

"You do not trust me." Concluded Nathaniel with a tight chest.

"Of course I trust you, this is not a matter of trust. You are the one who should trust me and accept my decision, knowing it was taken for your benefit."

Nathaniel nodded, after all, once Laurent fixed his mind on a certain idea, it was impossible to convince him otherwise.

"I do not trust your uncle, though."

Laurent laughed a bit at that, his blue eyes sparkling under the cold spring sun.

"And I don't blame you, my friend. Not at all."

Nathaniel was about to investigate more on Laurent's reaction, when the Prince suddenly waved a hand in the air, a charming smile plastered on his face.

"Andrew, I have been looking for you for days." Said Laurent, approaching the man Nathaniel had unfortunately already had the pleasure of meeting under quite different circumstances.

"Your highness," slightly bowed Andrew, his expression characteristically blank "you should have sent someone for me."

"It was not that urgent." Replied Laurent.

"I wanted to know your opinion on Vere, are you enjoying your stay here at the Palace? Veretians take hospitality very seriously."

The other man nodded, pleased.

"Of course, everyone has been very welcoming. In fact, I plan on delaying my departure if that won't be a source of displeasure for you, your highness."

While talking, Andrew couldn't help but throw small glances at the boy stood next to the Prince, his lips curling into a smirk each time Nathaniel's cheeks reddened more and more.

"You are welcome to stay here as much as you please, Andrew of Akielos."

Suddenly, everything fell into place: of course the man had not seemed like a Veretian to Nathaniel, now he recognised the slight accent in his voice and some of the features typical of an Akielon. Then, Laurent seemed to be reminded of Nathaniel's presence and his eyes travelled excitedly between the other two men.

"I am sorry, I forgot to introduce the two of you, it was not polite of me." Started Laurent. "Andrew, this is Nathaniel. Nathaniel, this is Andrew, half Akelion half Veretian. He travelled to Vere as an ambassador in order to deliver king Kastor's present." Explained the Prince.

Nathaniel scanned over Andrew's appearance, he did resemble an Akielon for the most part, but his blonde hair and some of his delicate features could only belong to a Veretian.

"Pleased to meet you." Extended his hand Andrew.

 _Ah, he wanted to play it like this, then._ Thought Nathaniel as he shook the man's hand with the fakest smile he could manage.

"How come you live in Akelios if you enjoy Vere so much?" Asked Nathaniel, insolent.

He saw Laurent suppress a smile with the corner of his eye.

"My mother came from Vere, when she died I was put in the system in Akielos." Explained blankly Andrew, not a sign of offence at Nathaniel's question. "Knowing both languages came quite in handy when I found out a new ambassador for Vere was needed at the Palace."

They continued their conversation with pleasantries and small talk and soon it was approaching dusk. Nathaniel found Andrew to be a smart man in a way that only someone who proved himself able to stand his own with Laurent could be. There was also something not quite right with him, that Nathaniel could not deny. The boy was sure that the right person could easily fall from his lips while listening to him talk, but Nathaniel knew better.

It was with a startle that Nathaniel felt a hand lay heavily on his shoulder. He turned around slowly, already knowing who the person behind him was.

"If I remember correctly," started Riko "you are to wait for me near the pond, am I wrong?"

Nathaniel nodded, his chest tightening with dread once he recognised the angry tone in Riko's words.

"Then why did I have to go looking for you? I do not know what has gotten into you lately, but I can assure you it would be best if you stopped it with this charade."

Nathaniel's cheeks were on fire, public humiliation seemed to be one of Riko's favourite punishments and the man never turned down an opportunity to use his sharp tongue against Nathaniel. Then, something shifted in Riko's eyes and he suddenly bowed.

"Good evening your highness, I am sorry I did not recognise you."

Laurent kept his face unimpressed, looking at Riko from under his arched brows as the Prince he was.

"Good evening, Riko. You must know Nathaniel came here under my instructions."

The man nodded and apologised, while neither Laurent nor Andrew could keep their eyes friendly. After a few minutes of conversation, Nathaniel and Riko excused themselves but the boy knew it was far from over.

~

Nathaniel hadn't been wrong, he was accustomed to Riko's thought process and foreseeing his reaction was an easy task by now. That night, Nathaniel wished he weren't so much observant, he wished he could have kept the benefit of the doubt for a bit longer. The wait was unnerving, not knowing what Riko had planned for him, but knowing it was without a doubt a punishment for his behaviour, was driving him insane.

They were in the ring room again, next to them a man was feeding sweet meats to his pet while those engrossed by the fighting stayed sat on the plush cushions surrounding the ring, captivated by the ruthless violence of actions that could not be spoken. It was a fair fight, two dirty blond men with the same weight and height, more or less, and the public did not like that. None of the men seemed to be able to overpower the other as they were stuck in a limbo of muscles and glistening skin.

"This is not as I had imagined it would be." Came a voice from Nathaniel's right.

The boy turned around, startled, just to find Andrew standing next to him, but he knew better than to try and speak with the man without Riko's consent, so he adverted his eyes and waited for his owner to acknowledge Andrew.

"Oh, we met this afternoon, right?" Finally asked Riko, pretending that Andrew's words were directed to him.

"Indeed we have." Smiled Andrew, but his eyes kept travelling back to Nathaniel and his smile was predatory.

"Anyway, what were you saying?" Conversed Riko, his pretence of politeness falling flat when he kept his eyes on the ring instead of properly looking at Andrew.

"I was told these fights ended up in one and only way, but these men have been at it for almost a hour." Explained the Akielon, en edge to his voice.

"I am aware, it is in fact quite boring." Sighed Riko. "They should be fucking by now."

Nathaniel flinched at those words and involuntary shifted his gaze to Andrew, noticing a change in his posture. He was tense.

"Is it common here in Vere to encourage rape? Not that it's any of my business, I am merely a curious man."

The trace of bitterness in Andrew's voice was slowly becoming more prominent and Nathaniel knew he was not the only one who had noticed that.

"The ones who fight are usually pets, it is not rape if they offered their services to another man or woman. They are to do anything their owners ask them to." Replied Riko, calm and collected while Nathaniel couldn't help but feel more and more self conscious.

There was a deeply unsettling feeling in his stomach, almost a sort of presentment.

"I see." Said Andrew, short and sharp.

Afterwords, silence fell upon them, but the tension lingering in the air could have been cut with a knife. The men on the ring were still fighting, now exhausted, their moves sloppy and weak. Then, out of thin air, Riko got to his feet and stomped his way to the ring, leaving Nathaniel and Andrew behind.

"Do you like your life, Nathaniel?" Asked the man as soon as Riko was out of earshot.

The question took Nathaniel aback, his reeling thoughts coming to a halt. The fact was that he already had the answer: no, of course he didn't like his life. Riko had ruined everything, he was happy before, naive and not really conscientious of what had been done to him, but happy. Now his life seemed to be immersed in a perpetual grey colour.

So, of course, he said: "yes, I do."

Andrew gave him a strange look, his light hazel eyes -an Akielon feature his mother surely had not granted him with- seemed to go a bit too far for Nathaniel's likening. He felt naked under his stare, exposed in a way he had never been before. He was just about to politely ask Andrew what the hell was wrong with him, when Riko came back to their seat with a dangerous smirk plastered on his face.

"I must thank you Andrew, you inspired a great idea." Riko sounded amused, Nathaniel thought his handsome face resembled a demon's.

There was something wrong, that feeling in Nathaniel's gut came back at full force.

"Nathaniel, you're up next."

He froze. Time seemed to stop, everything around him slowed down, his surroundings were now messy shapes and spurts of colour. It felt like being underwater, like not being able to hear and see and breathe. Flashes of torn tunics and rough hands coming back to him in waves, memories he had tried so hard to forget now were a vivid reminder of what was going to happen to him. It felt like suffocating.

"... Nathaniel, Nathaniel!"

He came back to reality with a startle, Riko had been calling his name with anger and impatience, but there was also something seemingly pleased in his features. Nathaniel opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no sound left his lips. He was numb, stuck in fear. He got up, Riko's hands heavy on his shoulder.

"The other two have been taken outside, they were useless." Explained Riko. "Now go, they are all waiting for you. Make me proud."

And that smile, that smile of his made Nathaniel want to throw up. He didn't know why he did it, maybe because even back then there was something about Andrew he couldn't really explain, but before turning around and walking to the place he hated the most in the entire world, he turned to him. He turned to Andrew and saw a strange expression painting the man's face. It might have been guilt, for all he knew. With big, scared eyes and a lump in throat Nathaniel turned to Andrew and mouthed a "thank you".

Climbing onto the ring was not as he had expected, he found that he was calm, quiet, as if the terror running in his blood had paralysed him. A venom. Then, when he finally stood on the ring, legs shaking and breath coming in short puffs, reality came crashing down on him. _No, not again_. He tried to control his thoughts, the only thing he could do in order to prevent the disaster that would be the outcome of this fight was staying calm, but he found it hard to stop his brain from going there.

The first time he had been forced in the ring, the fight had lasted less than fifteen minutes. He remembered big hands throwing him to the floor as soon as the horn had blown, those same hands holding him down as he struggled to make sense of what was happening, as he struggled to breathe. He remembered the bruises, those on his neck a fading blue colour, those on his legs hand-shaped and yellowish. He remembered being allowed to bathe the next day and scrubbing his skin raw in a vain attempt to feel less dirty than he thought he was. Then, he remembered the nightmares.

Now, as his opponent was announced, he felt the oxygen being ripped out of his lungs: the man standing in front of him was big, he was tall and bulky and was smiling as if he had won a battle. Nathaniel had never stood a chance. The man kneeled in the middle of the ring -as it was customary to do- and waited for him with spread arms. Nathaniel swallowed, his feet were glued to the ground. He could feel Riko's stare from where he was standing on the sideline, he could picture his filthy smile and his eyes, lit up with excitement and that satisfying feeling of revenge.

He still couldn't move, someone shouted at him but his legs felt too heavy, his chest constricted. Then, he saw a guard starting to climb onto the ring, ready to shove Nathaniel to his knees and get on with it, but it was not only the guard approaching him: there, standing on one of the corners was no one other than the man who had been talking to Andrew that night behind the curtain. Nathaniel watched him whisper something into the guard's ear, but nothing could prepare him for what happened next.

The tall, bulky man stood up looking furious and stomped his way out of the ring. That strange man -Jean Moreau, provided the announcer- had taken his place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am aware that Andrew and Nathaniel might seem a bit ooc and I apologise for that. However this is an AU so their behaviour/mannerism must fit the Versailles/Ancient Greece court.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Here's the new chapter, some more andreil as the plot thickens.  
> Enjoy :)

His head hurt, his body was weighted down by another, his eyes were staring unblinkingly into his opponent's grey ones. It didn't last long. He vaguely remembered getting in the appropriated stance, his arms entwined with Jean Moreau's and the cheers of the crowd spurring them on. Everything had happened fast, then. One moment he was kneeling in the middle of the ring and the next he was on his back, the weight of memories and nightmares stronger than that of Moreau's body.

The thing was, Nathaniel _was_ a fighter, he was. It was in his blood, his childhood memories were tinted with bruises and knives and no, he wouldn't go there. The thing was, Nathaniel knew how it was done but he simply couldn't. He couldn't stand the thought of being like him, he couldn't overcome his fear of the ring and those flashbacks, he couldn't help but think that he was a survivor in his own way and _this_ , this wasn't his own way.

He was stuck, he didn't stand a change against six feet two Jean Moreau and Riko would win this round, too. Gods, that's what he hated the most, the fact that Riko would get what he wanted. He would assert his ownership over Nathaniel once again and feel entitled to keep on taking and taking and taking. Riko was not on the ring, though. It was Jean Moreau's fingers circling his wrists, it was his hips pinning him down against the hard ground and it was his lips moving frantically, shouting something at Nathaniel's face. Sound came back to Nathaniel gradually, as if emerging from water.

" -et you go. I'm going to let you go, now. Calm down."

It took some time for those words to sink in, Nathaniel's heartbeat was still pumping in his ears. Moreau's voice seemed to come from a dream. _Let him go? Why would he let him go?_ Something was not right, Nathaniel had been expecting the worst but this was definitely not one of the scenarios his mind had come up with.

His mind was still working a hundred miles per hour when Moreau carefully removed his hands. Nathaniel came to his senses all at once, as soon as his wrists were freed he shimmied his way out of his opponent's grip -only because Moreau let him, that is- and backed up as much as he could. Moreau did not come for him. He stood up and offered Nathaniel his hand. The boy stared at him wide-eyed, stunned. _What the hell was he doing?_

Warily, Nathaniel accepted Moreau's hand and got to his feet. His once white, pristine tunic was now dirty and ruffled, but it was still there. He was still clothed and his skin was not dotted with bruises and Jean Moreau had not hurt him. They stayed like that for a few seconds, silence reigned in the room. Then, Moreau nodded sharply, released his hand and made his way out of the ring.

The crowd seemed to be too shocked to react, but whispers slowly began to fill the room as Nathaniel stood there, unmoving. His eyes followed his opponent and saw him approach the Regent. Gods, the Regent had been there. Nathaniel's heart beat faster. Moreau kneeled in front of him and the two exchanged a few words, the next thing he knew a guard was dragging Nathaniel out of the ring and two other fighters were announced.

The chatter in the room had increased until everything seemed to be back to normal, courtesans now too engulfed in the next fight to discuss what had just happened. They needed a show, they wanted a fight and screams and blood and they were getting it. Nathaniel was sure that Moreau's scene would become the gossip of the week but for now he was safe from having to deal with the stares and whispers.

He walked back as if in a trance, his legs leading him to Riko reflexively. Andrew was nowhere to be found, not that Nathaniel was looking for him. Even Moreau had disappeared and now Nathaniel was left alone with Riko, who looked as angry as Nathaniel feared he would. He stood near the entrance door, rigid and looming, his almond shaped eyes on fire. Those hands -hands that had tightened around Nathaniel's neck more times than he could count, hands that had hurt him over and over again- were twitching at his sides, longing for a knife.

Riko liked knives and he liked them especially when they were scarring Nathaniel's skin. Nathaniel's body was his most precious possession, as a pet it was his only weapon. Riko had ruined that, too. He could remember the first time Riko had pressed the point of a knife to his stomach, he could remember thinking about his father and the panic attack that had followed, he could remember Riko not caring about him not being able to breathe and dragging the blade over his skin in shapeless lines. Now that even his body was ruined, nobody would want him anymore. He had been destined to Riko since the beginning and now he was stuck with him. And it was all _his_ fault.

~

It had been a week since Nathaniel had left his rooms, not even Riko had been able to make use of his pet. Doctor's orders. She had visited Nathaniel trying not to cringe at the state the boy was in, pretending she didn't care about who had inflicted those terrible scars to him. She was from Akielos. They had slaves in Akielos. Slaves were almost sacred in Akielos.

Standing there, looking at Nathaniel with his dull eyes and bleeding body, she felt she was doing the right thing.  
She had been skeptical at first, she still was, but David had been so sure and he trusted the Monsters. And she trusted him. Patching up Damen after everything that _snake_ had done to him had almost convinced her to give it all up. Damen, the boy she had seen grow up into a kind, brave, respectful man, had looked on the verge of death. Paschal had been helpful and the two of them had joined forces to bring him back from the dead, but the Prince could not be trusted.

The Prince had come to visit Nathaniel, though. With worried eyes and a stony expression that crumbled the closer he got to the boy, Laurent had sat on Nathaniel's bed and kept him company for a few days. Nathaniel had been mostly quiet, ignoring the aches in his body in favour of trying to understand why Moreau had done what he had done and what he had to do with Andrew. Laurent had been unhelpful, still refusing to spill his secret and let Nathaniel know what the hell was going on at the Palace.

There was something going on, that was for sure, and Nathaniel needed to know. It was something big, he could feel it in the air, some sort of premonition. Andrew was his answer, everything had started when he and the slaves from Akielos had reached Vere and Nathaniel was not about to let some midget endanger the Palace, his home. Who from Akielos was even that short, anyway? So it was with a newfound determination that Nathaniel left his rooms after a week of mandatory rest to look for Andrew and demand an explanation.

He found him on the roof, just when he had given up and decided to clear his head in his place. The roof had been his place since the first month he had spent at the Palace, when not even Laurent's reassuring words had been enough to make him forget about those rough hands on his body. Now, though, it was not his place anymore. Now, a head of blond hair shone under the cold morning light and a cloud of smoke surrounded the man sat on the edge of the roof.

"Contemplating the easy way out?" Asked Nathaniel, half hoping to startle Andrew.

The man didn't turn around, he kept his eyes on the horizon. He was motionless, a statue bathed in sunlight. It was as he if he had been expecting him, but Nathaniel was sure nothing he had done could have given him away. He made his way to the edge, Arles countryside spread in front of him in all its glory. From here the lake looked blue and endless, framed by the green of dewy grass and sparse pines. Looming over the horizon, Vere statuesque mountains were perpetually covered in a sheet of snow, glimmering like diamonds under the sun.

It was calm. It was quiet.

"What makes you believe that's the _easy_ way out?" Wondered Andrew beside him.

Nathaniel took a moment to respond, he sat next to Andrew and spent a few seconds admiring the view that was already engrained in his memory.

"Only cowards give into death without a fight."

"Is that what you think?"

Andrew was looking at him now, Nathaniel could feel his stare. So, he simply nodded.

"Interesting." Commented Andrew.

They stayed in silence for some time, it could have been seconds as much as minutes as much as hours. Nathaniel couldn't tell. It was this place, it made him reflexive, it made him forget what he wanted to ask Andrew in the first place.

"Why a pet?" Asked Andrew out of the blue.

Nathaniel turned his head to watch him. He was still inhaling from that sort of pipe dangling in between his fingers, white smoke curling out of his nose.

"What's that?" Pondered Nathaniel, nodding to Andrew's hand.

The man coked his head a bit, scrutinising him from under long, blond eyelashes. That was an interesting look on him, Nathaniel had to admit. Andrew's expression was always carefully blank, dead eyes and slack features. There was a sparkle in his eyes, now. Nathaniel thought it looked a lot like curiosity.

"I'm not a math problem."

"I'll still solve you."

Nathaniel went back to staring at the landscape.

"So, what's that?" He insisted.

Andrew sighed.

"It's tobacco. Vere imports it from Akielos, it needs higher temperatures to be cultivated."

"I like the smell." Whispered Nathaniel, a bit self conscious.

They were quiet after that, the sun was slowly reaching its peak as the wind ruffled their hair. Andrew was dressed in black from head to toe, the hem of his tunic fluttering in the air. Nathaniel found it odd to think about Andrew as an Akielon, even if it was only half of his blood. Andrew was always so composed, impassive and quite haughty. He reminded him of Laurent, in a way, which brought him back to the reason he had been looking for Andrew in the first place.

"I need answers." Stated Nathaniel.

"Don't we all?" Smiled Andrew, sharp and sarcastic.

Nathaniel knew he had to play his cards right if he wanted to get something out of Andrew, but there seemed to be no right way to approach someone like him. Therefore, Nathaniel went with his gut.

"A truth for a truth." Started the boy. "I'll answer your question if you answer mine."

Andrew went back to scrutinising him, pondering his offer.

"Okay."

Nathaniel took a deep breath, his story hadn't been told in a long time. He used to lie, he used to go on and on about being an orphan with no money and a servant noticing him and offering him a chance to a better life. He used to say a lot of things with a lot of details and a lot of names and places. None of them were the truth. For a fleeting moment, he thought about lying to Andrew, too. He though about telling the story of the boy whose parents died travelling to Patras, but something inside him twisted at the thought. The only person to know about him was Laurent, but Andrew didn't look like the type to buy into Nathaniel's bullshit. It wasn't even a matter of what Andrew would or wouldn't buy into, for once in a long time Nathaniel felt like he could trust someone with the truth.

"It wasn't my decision. My father sold me to the Moriyamas to pay for some kind of debt."

It wasn't the whole story, but it was something.

"And the Moriyamas are?"

"They are the family in charge of the pet market, they help pets find owners and owners find pets. It's not always that easy or consenting, for what it matters."

Nathaniel could see himself at eleven, scared and beaten black and blue while he entered Evermore Residence, ready to leave his father behind and clueless about what would happen to him. The Moriyamas were known for the discretion, though, and by the time he was twelve Nathaniel had already been assigned to the Palace. No one had dared to say a word when a child had replaced another.

"Why don't you recede from your contract? You are allowed to." Asked Andrew.

Nathaniel closed his eyes.

"If I were to break my contract, I'd have to go back to my father." Confessed the boy.

When he opened his eyes, Andrew was staring at him evenly.

"My father is not someone you want to go back to."

Silence fell upon them, Nathaniel knew Andrew wanted to ask more, he could read it in his strained expression -at least as much as Andrew let himself be read- but he didn't. He just raised a brow as if to say 'go on, it's your turn'.

"What was your secret conversation with Moreau about?" Blurted out Nathaniel.

"Straight for the jugular." Smiled the man, bitter. "I'm not answering that."

"You said you would. You promised." Protested Nathaniel, beginning to feel betrayed.

"I am very serious about the promises I make. I didn't promise you anything."

"You did!"

Andrew sighed. He took a drag from his pipe and let the smoke dissolve in front of Nathaniel's face.

"I hate you, you were not part of the plan."

"What plan?" Spurred him on Nathaniel, hoping to get a rise out of him.

"If you want me to answer that you'll have to ask your favourite Prince. Until then, I owe you a truth."

He was gone before Nathaniel could open his mouth and retort.

~

Another two days passed, Laurent was not even close to giving into Nathaniel's requests and Riko was carefully keeping his mistreatments to a minimum, probably still annoyed by the time his pet had spent in the infirmary instead of in his bed. Nathaniel, on his part, was feeling restless. The sensation of being watched made the back of his neck prickle, he wasn't a stranger to being followed. The first time he'd felt it had been during one of his daily walks in the gardens, no Laurent to keep him company and no Andrew to spill that truth he owed him. It was freezing outside and only a few servants had been crossing the gardens to rush from one wing of the Palace to another, but it had been in the eery quiet of that cold morning that he'd felt the hairs on his arms rise. After that one episode, it had become pretty much a daily occurrence. In the ring room, in the baths, in the dining hall... everywhere he went he was sure that eyes were on him. 

In the week Nathaniel had spent at the infirmary, Laurent had been busy trying to gain some ground against his uncle, but his mood implied that something was not going as planned. Damianos was a wild card, after all, and Nathaniel still wasn't sure what to think about him. The harshness of Laurent's actions was dictated by his rage and his hunger for revenge, but Nathaniel could not exactly blame him for what he had done. However, it would not be long until he met Damianos for himself: the banquet in honour of Torveld's arrival was quickly approaching and something told Nathaniel that Damianos would make an appearance.

In the meantime, Nathaniel was hell bent on collecting Andrew's truth and the man seemed to be hell bent on avoiding him. There was something not quite right with the man; first the secret conversation, then his attempt at making conversation with Nathaniel resulting into his condemn to the ring, and now the truths on the roof. At least Nathaniel was sure he didn't owe him anything anymore, his eavesdropping was compensated with Andrew's mistake in the ring room, _if_ it had been a mistake. Somehow, though, Nathaniel couldn't imagine a man like Andrew purposefully signing a rape condemn, he could not be that vile.

However, if it hadn't been for Jean Moreau, Gods only know what would have happened to Nathaniel. It was with displeasure that the boy realised he now did owe something to someone, and that someone was Jean Moreau. Years of living at court had taught him to settle his debts as fast as he could, but he could not imagine what someone like Jean Moreau might want from him. He could only hope Moreau would react as the honourable man he had been in the ring.

~

The day before the banquet, just as Nathaniel was getting dressed, someone knocked at Riko's door. The man was gone like most mornings, so Nathaniel found himself quickly lacing up his tunic and hurrying to the door. What he saw, he had not been expecting.

"Nathaniel, it has been a long time. May I?" Greeted him the Regent, one hand extended a few centimetres from Nathaniel's cheek.

The boy was speechless. He nodded. With a warm smile the Regent gently caressed his cheek, tucking a strand of auburn hair behind his ear.

"You are as beautiful as the day you arrived here."

Nathaniel had to keep himself from flinching and he had to think fast. This was not a common occurrence, the last time he had properly talked to the Regent -the last time the Regent had properly acknowledged him- he had been dismissed from his services. He had been fourteen. People used to whisper he had lasted longer than most, must be that pretty face, the prettiest. No, the Regent wanted something and Nathaniel was not a naive boy anymore.

"Can I come in?" Asked the Regent after Nathaniel's silence. "I would like to speak with you."

The boy nodded again, not trusting his voice to come out as steady as he needed it to. He turned around and led the way into Riko's rooms.

"I trust you are being treated fairly well, Nathaniel."

Voice as sickly sweet as honey, the Regent couldn't have been more wrong. Nathaniel nodded anyway. The hate he felt for the man standing in front of him, with his expensive robes and calculated gestures, was strong enough to equal Laurent's. As a child, he had not realised that the price for the Regent's love, gifts and protection was too high and ridiculously wrong for a twelve year-old. Laurent had opened his eyes, had helped him see what a disgusting human being he was bending over for and now there was no coming back. He could not help but see the Regent as he really was: a sick fuck, to put it simply. Whatever it was that the man wanted from Nathaniel, he would not get it.

"You have become a man of few words." Noted the Regent.

A man, Nathaniel liked the sound of it. He knew he was still technically a boy, his coming of age was a distant thought, even though his eighteenth birthday was fast approaching. However, Nathaniel considered himself undeniably a man. Too many scars had his mind and body had to bear for him to think of himself as a boy.

"I am merely surprised, sir." Replied Nathaniel.

"Of course you are."

The Regent gracefully sat on the plush armchair next to the fireplace, as if he owned every single inch of the Palace. His eyes glistened dangerously, reflecting the flames.

"As I have already said, there is a matter I would like to discuss with you. However, it is of the utmost importance you do not speak with anyone about this conversation."

His eyes were now fixated on Nathaniel's, his amiable expression had been substituted by a serious one. He certainly did not think Nathaniel's loyalty laid with him, did he?

"That is, if you want my nephew to be safe."

And there it was, the catch.

"Are you threatening Laurent?"

Nathaniel could feel his anger rise, he was aware that the Regent knew about him and Laurent, but using his affections against him was low. Typical of the Regent. The man raised his brows, looking surprised and appalled.

"I would never do such thing. However, someone does not care about the Prince as much as we do, I am afraid."

Pause. Silence.

"There are some new faces at court." Continued the Regent. "I am inclined to believe one of them in particular might endanger my nephew's safety."

Nathaniel furrowed his brows, this was something he had not been expecting. He knew who these 'new faces' were, but Laurent had looked pleased to see Andrew. Either the Regent was lying or Andrew was not who he claimed to be.

"What do you mean?"

"We are talking about a coup d'ètat, Nathaniel. After all, Andrew Minyard has spent quite a lot of time in Akielos."

That could not prove anything but everything that had happened lately, Andrew's secrecy, Moreau's odd behaviour, that sensation of being watched... all these things made it hard for Nathaniel to simply dismiss the Regent's words.

"A coup d'état? That seems a bit rash." Considered Nathaniel.

The Regent slowly got up and made his way to where Nathaniel was standing by the wall, the boy had to repress his urge to take a step back. Now directly in front of him, the Regent evened him with an intense look.

"You must know that back in Akielos Minyard spent a few years imprisoned, do you want to know the nature of the accuse?"

Nathaniel nodded, his breathing harsh and quick at the Regent's proximity.

"Suspicious talk of rebellion and unauthorised secret meetings. Bordering on treason, you know?"

Nathaniel was not dense, he knew the words coming out of the Regent’s mouth had to be picked carefully, but he also knew that somehow the man wasn't lying. He had spent too much time being the Regent's shadow not to be able to tell a lie from a truth. This was a truth and it meant one thing only: Andrew was not who he claimed to be, Andrew might be a danger to Laurent's safety and no matter how much he and Andrew seemed to be on the same wavelength, Nathaniel would always choose Laurent.

"Why was he released, then? If it was a matter of treason I would expect him to be granted with a life sentence." Investigated Nathaniel, still suspicious of the Regent's accusations.

"Some acquaintances." Replied the Regent. "Apparently David Wymack, Prince Kastor and Prince Damianos' trainer, put in a good word for him with the King."

And how was Andrew, a simple peasant almost accused of treason, supposed to know someone that high up at court? This, Nathaniel did not ask. Instead, he shook his head in acknowledgement. Even if the Regent's words were true, why would Andrew pose as a threat to Vere when he had supposedly been planning a rebellion against Akielos itself? Why come to Vere and target that one person who would be more than willing to help him destroy the rivalling kingdom? Plus, the fact that even Nathaniel had been able to find a flaw in the Regent's theory meant that the man was getting sloppy and the Regent did _not_ get sloppy. There had to be more.

Nathaniel was proved right with the Regent's next words and now he wasn't sure who he was supposed to trust anymore.

~

The preparations for the banquet were, in Nathaniel's opinion, too rushed and over the top. Everywhere he went servants were arguing about the smallest, insignificant detail and the climate at the Palace was far too anxious for his taste. Laurent was busy arranging some sort of plan, of course he had not told Nathaniel explicitly, but the boy knew the Prince well enough to realise he was onto something. On top of that all, Nathaniel's conversation with the Regent was much of a heavier weight on his shoulders than a stupid banquet for Patras. He kept on replaying those words in his head, hoping to find some sort of scapegoat, some sort of mistake on the Regent's part, anything that might prove the man wrong but of course there was nothing. If Andrew really knew what the Regent affirmed he did, then Nathaniel could as well be already dead. Andrew knowing about _that_ , meant that there was a high chance he could be one of them and that left Nathaniel with one and only option: run.

Except, Nathaniel deemed himself to be quite smart, which meant he would not believe a single word that came out of the Regent's mouth until he could speak with Andrew and make up his own mind. However, if everything the Regent had told him were to be true, Nathaniel would not be able to run straightaway. He did not care about the Regent's safety, but Laurent would be in danger as well and he could not leave him behind. They could run away together, that was always an option, but Laurent was not that kind of man. Laurent would never leave his kingdom at the mercy of some sort of Akielon infiltrates, so the only option for Nathaniel was to stay until he could be assured of Laurent's safety and then leave. Run and never look back.

The chance to prove the Regent wrong presented itself at the banquet. Andrew Minyard, Jean Moreau and -and _no_ , that was impossible. There, in between the men, sat no one other than Kevin Day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm very sorry for making you wait so long since the last chapter, but I've been very busy studying to get into uni. The next updates will probably take this long, once again sorry about that.  
> Anyway, here's the new chapter. Thank you for every single kudos or comment :)  
> Enjoy!

Getting ready for the banquet had been a long, time-consuming procedure and, of course, it was Riko's fault. Nathaniel did not know if it was meant to be revenge for his failed attempt in the ring or a simple display of Riko's possessive behaviour, whatever the man wanted to prove he had decided to do it through Nathaniel's body. It was not his usual pearls entwined in his hair, but beautiful sapphires, unevenly shaped, carefully nestled in between each curl.

"These will bring out your eyes." Had said Riko, tugging on a strand of Nathaniel's hair.

His face was painted in silver and gold, making his eyes look even bigger and his mouth fuller, giving him an ethereal glow. His tunic was of a candid white, no laces and sleeveless. It was silk and it fell gracefully down the planes of his body, shaping both his curves and muscles.

He looked beautiful. He looked like a whore.

As he entered the Great Hall, he immediately knew everyone thought of him like that. The stares were just a bit too much to ignore, lust and hunger veiled by disgust and envy for what they could not have. The fact that Riko and him were assured seats at the Prince's table certainly did not help the situation, but people seemed less inclined to display such blatant interest for him in front of a guest, turning their eyes as soon as Nathaniel reached the table.

It was a big one, with many important people and many important words flying from an end of the table to another. Torveld sat right beside Laurent as the two chatted amicably, but there was something in Laurent's eyes that was not so calm. He was waiting. Just as Nathaniel had predicted, also Damianos sat on Laurent's side, flanked by -Nathaniel had to stop his eyes from rolling- Nicaise. The Regent, too, was there somewhere, but Nathaniel could not have cared less because next to Nicaise, Andrew was trying to repress a smile sending quick glances to the boy on his left and Damianos. Andrew was here and Moreau was here and no- that was impossible. There, in between the men, sat no one other than Kevin Day.

Nathaniel felt Riko stiffen beside him, but they kept on walking as if nothing had happened, they took their seats at the table as if Kevin Day had not just come back from the dead. Nathaniel would have liked to keep his eyes on Riko, to look for any sign of discomfort, anger, stupor. Anything. He could still remember every single detail of that night, the night where Riko had left a broken, beaten, half dead Kevin in the hands of two men who looked like they could work for Nathaniel's own father.

Kevin should have not made it out alive. Kevin was here.

Although Nathaniel wanted nothing more than to focus on Riko's reaction, there were at least two other people at the table intent on having his attention for themselves. Nicaise, with his soft features and sharp tongue, was the most insistent.

"Well Nathaniel, I didn't know you would sit with us tonight." Spit out the boy as soon as Nathaniel acknowledged his presence.

The words were so full of scorn and venom that Nathaniel had to suppress an eye roll. If Nicaise thought he could beat him at his own game, he was delusional. Moreover, there were far more important matters that demanded Nathaniel's attention for him to start a fight with a fourteen years old boy in the middle of a banquet. Important matters such as the Regent's sly looks towards him and Andrew, as if the man was silently implying Nathaniel should inquire Andrew about everything he had been told right then and there. Maybe those looks were the reason Nicaise had been onto him from the start, after all.

Of course, there was also Andrew's problem to address. He was finally there and he would not be able to avoid Nathaniel under these circumstances. The boy simply had to find a way to talk to him in private, he knew exactly what to ask for his truth and something told him the Regent would be more than willing to help him isolate Andrew for a few minutes. However, the first thing that caught his attention and held it was Damianos, prince killer.

"Well, since even slaves are allowed at this table one might think I should indeed be sitting elsewhere." Casually replied Nathaniel, taking advantage of Riko's distraction.

"Nathaniel." Chastised him one of the nobles in earshot, but the boy noticed both Laurent and Andrew trying and respectively failing and succeeding to hide a smile.

Nicaise raised a brow and sent a quick, affronted glare to Andrew.

"You said we had a deal." Whispered the boy, but Nathaniel heard him anyway. If there was something Nicaise was not, it was quiet.

Andrew regarded him languidly, with an almost tenderness that looked so misplaced on his features Nathaniel had to blink twice to make sure it was there. Then, the man nodded and leaned in to talk in Nicaise's ear but his eyes swayed to Nathaniel. Nicaise looked annoyed, even after the ghost of a smile crossed his face. He shrugged at whatever Andrew was telling him, but Nathaniel could tell he was simply _acting_ offended.

"I guess you can stay." Muttered Nicaise.

"I did not ask, did I?" Replied Nathaniel, insolent, but the boy left it at that.

It was an awkward situation, there was not a single person at the table Nathaniel could talk to and pretend that all his doubts did not exist, that he was not looking for an answer. Andrew's stare burned into his skin, but he did not feel ready to confront him yet. A deal with Moreau, a deal with Nicaise... _what was it with Andrew and promises?_ In order to distract himself from those thoughts, Nathaniel decided it was time to approach Damianos, to assess if he could be a danger to Laurent's safety even when caged like a slave. Luckily the Prince was engaged in a conversation with Torveld, so it was easy for Nathaniel to catch the prince killer's eyes.

"Has the Prince made good use of you?" Asked Nathaniel viciously, his features screaming hostility.

Before Damianos could get that stunned expression off his face and reply, a presence appeared behind Nathaniel and lips whispered in his ear:

"We need to talk."

It was unmistakably Andrew. Nathaniel was a bit too shocked to hide the tremor that had shaken his body the moment that rough, deep voice had started flowing in his ear. He turned around slowly, Andrew was careful to keep a certain distance between their faces as he waited for an answer. This up close, Nathaniel could detect any detail in his features, from the mole near his eye to the gentle curve of his upper lip. That was when he noticed the corner of Andrew's mouth twitch slightly and realised he had been-

"Staring." Whispered the man.

Nathaniel shook himself out of his daze and raised his head up high, trying to look Andrew down even when he was the one with the upper hand. After his display of power, Riko was back to ignoring him in favour of talking to someone at the other end of the table and what Andrew proposed was an opportunity, an opportunity to dig into Andrew's truths and lies that he could not miss.

"Lead the way."

Nathaniel did not notice, but the Regent's eyes followed him out of the Great Hall.

~

They were standing in the middle of one of the small cloisters within the Palace, Andrew was leaning on the marble statue representing some God Nathaniel didn't really know the name of. He was still weary of Andrew's intentions but that sense of trust he had felt on the roof while confessing part of his story to the other man was fresh in his mind. Andrew appeared as apathetic as usual, regarding him languidly.

"You said we needed to talk." Broke the silence Nathaniel. "Let's talk."

Andrew straightened slowly and approached him like a predator would a prey. Nathaniel was no prey, though. Andrew hadn't spoke a word yet.

"You owe me a truth, remember?"

At that the man slightly nodded.

"I want to take a turn now." Insisted Nathaniel, his patience failing him as it always did.

Andrew was about to roll his eyes but stopped himself short, as if displaying any sort of emotion -even annoyance- could be held against him.

"We'll see about that, now let me tell you something."

Curiosity flayed through Nathaniel, the shadows cast by their bodies on the walls enhanced the mysterious atmosphere. Under the moonlight, Andrew looked almost ghostly, his hazel eyes silvery and focused on Nathaniel's face. He did not look so apathetic anymore, instead he wore a serious expression under his pretence of control. Of all the men Nathaniel had had both the pleasure and displeasure of knowing, Andrew was the greatest unknown.

"Apparently, Prince dearest trusts you enough to be quite adamant about your safety." Started Andrew, "which means you are one of mine now."

Nathaniel felt the words swirl in his brain, but nothing made sense. He was not endangered in any way, at least not more than the usual and the boy didn't know if being 'one of Andrew's' classified as positive or negative. From what the Regent had told him, the latter would be the right answer. However, Laurent seemed to have taken an active part in whatever was happening and he mostly seemed to have accepted Andrew. Trust was not something Laurent gave easily, surely there had to be a reason why the Prince would push Nathaniel's safety in Andrew's hands without hesitancy. The other option, of course, implied that Andrew was lying to him.

"One of yours." Replied Nathaniel, tasting the words on his tongue. "What does being one of yours entail?"

"It means we have a deal, Laurent and I. You are now under my protection."

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes.

"And what exactly do you get out of this?"

"That is none of your business, it's between me and the Prince." Replied Andrew, monotone.

Frustration was evident on Nathaniel's face, Andrew's crypticness that had once been a source of respect was now unwelcome.

"What is it with you and deals?" Asked Nathaniel. "You even made one with Nicaise."

Andrew gave him a look, his bored façade slipping the slightest bit.

"Nicaise is a child and our deal is consequently childish." Explained the man.

"But you will keep your word nonetheless." It was supposed to be a question but it came out of Nathaniel's lips as a statement.

"I will."

There was a moment of silence between the two, Andrew looked comfortable to let Nathaniel make the next move, his body closer to the boy's than before. How Nathaniel had not noticed their bodies closing in on each other, he did not know.

"I don't appreciate being part of someone else's deal." Blurted out Nathaniel. "Make a deal _with_ me, not about me."

"You'll have to ask Laurent, then we'll meet on the roof and discuss a new one." Proposed Andrew even though he looked like he could not care less about Nathaniel's preferences.

"That will take too long. Convincing Laurent, meeting up with you out of indiscreet eyes, arranging a new deal...If Laurent asked you to keep me safe, then something or someone must be a danger to me and I'd rather not take the risk." Reasoned Nathaniel.

Nobody knew about his father, not even Laurent was aware of the whole story, but he was the only thing that might present a threat to Nathaniel. There was the slight chance that Laurent had been informed about Nathaniel's origins if the Butcher was really looking for revenge and even though the itch to run had started spreading all over Nathaniel's body, he was aware that -as Moriyama's property- running was not an option. The only option left was to accept Andrew's protection from whatever and whoever, be it the Butcher or not Nathaniel would not take any risk.

"What are you getting at?" Asked Andrew, still apparently calm.

"I want you to make a deal with me, now. A deal with precedence over Laurent's."

Andrew almost smiled.

"And what would you give me?"

"Anything."

Silence. Andrew took another step forward, close but not touching. His eyes inspected Nathaniel from the tip of his hair to the tip of his shoes, but it was not a hungry stare, it did not feel like being ogled by a courtier interested in paying Riko for a night with him. It felt like being simply assessed and something else, something Nathaniel could not quite recognise.

"You are bold. And daring." Pause. "And an idiot. I could ask anything of you."

Nathaniel shrugged, but he did not take his eyes away form Andrew's.

"My whole li-" he cut himself short. "Since I was a child I never had a say in anything. Anything. People have always told me what to do and how to do it and even if they mean well, sometimes it feels... it feels like being a slave." Admitted Nathaniel.

In front of him Andrew's jaw twitched.

"Here's the deal." Started Andrew. Nathaniel felt his lips stretch in a smile, Andrew's eyes followed the movement. "First of all, I hate you."

It sounded like freedom.

~

As they sat back at their table, Nathaniel found it hard to keep calm and collected. He had asked for a new deal but Andrew had given him much, much more. He could not believe what had been happening right under his nose, the thought that he had not been able to seize the signals made his stomach twist painfully. He had been blind, his mother would have beaten him black and blue for such carelessness. He had been also lucky because none of this mess was related to his father, if something this big had managed to escape his notice how could Nathaniel be sure he would be prepared for an attack from his father's people? It was an unfounded worry, a fear engrained so deeply in his brain that he could not help but scold himself even when he knew he had Andrew now. Andrew who had promised to protect him, Andrew who did not know he might be against the Butcher.

When Nathaniel had been promised to the Moriyamas he had been only seven and his mother had decided she would not force such fate on her only child. She had woken him in the middle of the night, packed a bag with few clothes and many coins and took him away. They had been living on the road for three years before his father's men had caught up with them, brutally killed Nathaniel's mother in front of his eyes and brought him to Residence Evermore, where he _belonged_.

Now, Nathaniel was where he was supposed to be but the nagging fear that his father might want revenge from him other than his mother had not faded away. His time at Residence Evermore had been scanned by lessons and beatings, his life at the Palace had looked like heaven in comparison just until Riko had come to claim what was his, if he were to run he was sure his father would find him in a few days. He had been hopeless all this time but now... maybe now with Andrew, Laurent, the Monsters and everything that was happening at court he could have a chance at freedom.

The chatter of the Great Hall brought Nathaniel back and his eyes immediately landed on Kevin. Kevin, his part of the deal to uphold.

_"Kevin is too much of a coward to take Riko down himself, but he saw the fire in you."_

_"We believed him to be dead."_

_"Not dead, just injured. That night he ran to the only person he thought he could trust, Wymack."_

_"Wymack as in the Crown Princes' trainer, David Wymack?"_

_"Wymack as in his father, David Wymack. Then, he met the monsters."_

Nathaniel had jumped to conclusions, Andrew was not supposed to protect him from the Butcher and neither he nor Laurent bore the knowledge of Nathaniel's father's identity. The Prince had bargained with Andrew for protection from the Regent. More than two steps ahead, Laurent had decided that leaving the people he cared about -even if he would not admit it- unarmed and at the mercy of his uncle simply would not do. Andrew had been in the right place at the right time and an unusual alliance was born. Still, Nathaniel needed to know more about Andrew's past, whatever the Regent had said about him was to be taken with a pinch of salt.

The Regent had tried to manipulate Nathaniel into siding up with him by telling him that Andrew's contacts at the Akielon court were due to him being part of a rebellious group lead by David Wymack himself, an opposing force working on dethroning the Butcher and imposing as the new undercover assassins in Vere so as to get easy access to the Prince. Of course, that meant Andrew would be aware of who the Butcher was and of Nathaniel's relation to him, at least that was what the Regent had implied. It was almost a foolproof story, if it wasn't for the fact that Laurent had managed to catch a whiff of his uncle's bullshit and worked from the beginning to introduce Andrew as someone who Nathaniel could trust. The coup d'état the Regent had been talking about had indeed been planned, but Nathaniel had finally discovered who the real traitors were. Now, he - _they_ needed a plan.

The banquet progressed with a show, fire and a scared Akielon slave. It progressed with Laurent's barely there smirk, Andrew's pleased expression and Torveld's quiet happiness at being gifted with a new servant. It progressed with Riko's possessive hand on Nathaniel's back, his grip strong enough to bruise, with the boy's sorrowful, resigned eyes intercepting Andrew's resolute glare and a night to forget spent under the sheets.

~

The next days passed in blur of _Andrew Andrew Andrew_. Time spent with him in the gardens, his gaze hot on Nathaniel when in the ring room -as if subtly assuring the boy wouldn't end up in there once more. Mostly, though, they liked to smoke Andrew's tobacco on the roof, exchanging silence and small truths. Andrew's stony presence anchored Nathaniel, he made him feel real, less volatile, especially after those nights where Riko's hands left marks too stark to erase. There, on the roof, with his feet dangling in the air and Arles spread out before him, with the lingering smell of smoke and Andrew right beside him, Nathaniel was dead and Abram was alive.

It had been a truth on credit and the next day Andrew had confessed everything the Regent had told him about the man's incarceration to be true. He had done it on purpose (a truth for a look at Nathaniel's scars), though Nathaniel still did not know why. Wymack had a soft spot for lost causes, had said Andrew, and had given him 'another chance at life'. At that Andrew had laughed, raw and mocking.

"Do you have family?"

"Are you taking a turn?" Asked Andrew, his gaze resolutely set on the landscape before him. Nathaniel nodded.

"I do, a cousin and..." trailed off the man, his eyes going distant and his posture now rigid.

Nathaniel thought maybe he should not have asked, maybe there was only so much Andrew was willing to give him, and he had given him a lot. Andrew gave and gave and gave and Nathaniel was afraid he might slip up and take.

"And a brother." Concluded Andrew.

"Are they in Akielos?"

Nathaniel knew that pushing for more information was probably the wrong move, but his curiosity for everything that was Andrew and Andrew's previous life was too strong to suppress. The man had a brother, there was someone out there who might resemble Andrew, who might think like him...although Nathaniel was pretty sure nobody in the world could be like Andrew, nobody would ever be able to get Nathaniel like Andrew did with his silent, understanding eyes and his firm ways.

"I can tell you my story, but I want something in return." Blurted out Andrew, he seemed to recoil a bit then but any other reaction was suppressed the moment he realised Nathaniel had noticed.

"What do you want?"

Andrew turned his eyes towards Nathaniel, solemn and golden in the colours of dusk.

"The truth."

"Isn't it the aim of this game of yours, to exchange truths?"

"I know a liar when I see one," replied Andrew "and lying by omission still classifies as lying."

Nathaniel inhaled sharply, the only thing he had not told Andrew, the last secret between them was his father's identity and, of course, the days on the run with his mother. Short lived freedom, that's what he liked to remember it as. Because hell and beatings were his father, terror and alert were his father, he couldn't -he wouldn't associate any of that with his mother. She had tried to save him, she had kept him safe for as long as she could, she had sacrificed for him.

"I can't." Whispered Nathaniel.

Andrew adverted his eyes. He didn't want to look at him.

"I can't but I will." Continued Nathaniel, a sort of desperation clawing at his chest, making him want and want and _look at me, Andrew, look at me._ "It's a promise." And he believed it.

"Why would I trust you? You were supposed to be a side effect of the drugs."

"What drugs? And I am not a hallucination."

Silence fell between them and this time, it was something different. It was charged.

"The drugs they gave me after releasing me from prison, they thought I was crazy and a revolutionary and had to be cured." An ugly smile stretched on Andrew's face. "They made me very careless and very happy. I stopped taking them here, Vere doesn't care about Akielon laws."

Nathaniel regarded him closely, the smile that had managed to escape Andrew's iron control was maniac and empty, but it was gone faster than it had appeared.

"This is all you're getting since you won't open your big mouth and talk."

Nathaniel found himself smiling, all teeth and lips and a warm feeling spreading inside him. Andrew blinked.

"I am not a hallucination." Insisted Nathaniel. They were close, once again he hadn't noticed their proximity until he realised he could feel Andrew's breath on his cheek.

"You are a pipe dream."

And then, Andrew kissed him.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha. Ha. Ha. *Slowly crawls back from the dead.* So, four months eh? I am so very sorry about the wait but life got in the way: I moved out, started uni, exams bla bla bla (also I had no inspiration whatsoever but, oh well). I’m back now though! This is the last chapter, then there will be an epilogue and then it’ll be over. Credit goes to Nora for some dialogue in this chapter, you’ll see.  
> Enjoy!

The night it happened, Nathaniel was supposed to be in town. He was supposed to be with Kevin planning the last details of their escape, but he was not. In hindsight, he would think about the moment he had decided to take a risk and stay, and admit he had done the right thing. With blood on his shirt and Andrew's hands on his skin he would think that for once in his life he had made the difference, he had been _real_ and he would be proud, content. Dying like this was not cruel. Dying for the people he loved, dying for the cause, dying for Vere was peaceful. He had spent his entire life afraid of death, running from the lady in black who was always only a few steps behind him. That night, he was not afraid anymore.

~

Kissing Andrew felt right in a way it never had with anyone else. Kissing Andrew felt like being alive and being true and being Abram. Kissing Andrew had also become very frequent in the past few days. They made time for themselves, between plans and maps and schemes, between Kevin's thirst for revenge and Jean's need for closure. They sat on the roof and Nathaniel let Andrew kiss his lips numb, whispering quiet yeses into each other's skin, pretending they could be ordinary lovers with no scarred bodies and brains. Sometimes, when Nathaniel laid on Riko's bedding, he let himself imagine a different past. He let his mind wander to a dangerous place where he was a palace servant and Andrew was an ambassador from Akielos and their reigns were at peace and Andrew had taken it upon himself to court him like a lover would. The illusion lasted until his body registered the smell of sex and sweat on the sheets, his aching limbs or Riko's phantom touch, that is to say not much.

It hurt, going back to reality, and if there was one thing Nathaniel was not, it was a masochist -at least that is what he had always thought. Apparently, he did not know himself so well. He knew he was deluding himself, that this thing between Andrew and him was... it was nothing, that was what Andrew said. Nathaniel believed him. There was also the fact that they could all be dead in a few days, but Nathaniel tended not to linger too much on that thought. He would much rather drown all his worry -since when did Nathaniel _worry_?- in Andrew's lips and Kevin's orders and Jean's stories.

As it turned out, planning a coup against another coup was not an easy task, that much was evident in the bags under Nathaniel's eyes. Meeting up to proceed with their scheming was not very hard: Andrew, Kevin and Jean had been seen together since their arrival in Arles, the odd one out would be Nathaniel. Luckily Riko spent the most part of the afternoon away from the Palace, this gave Nathaniel the chance to sneak into Kevin's rooms unnoticed and be on his way before Riko came back. It was hard to keep up with the other rebels, the intricate web of lies and truths around Nathaniel slowed him down, made him check all the facts twice before giving his opinion. Andrew had noticed his hesitancy, Nathaniel had come to know there was nothing that escaped Andrew's notice, but the man did not comment on it. Maybe being aware that Nathaniel knew was enough for him, or maybe he was waiting for the right time to bring it up when they were alone. Whatever Andrew's motives were, Nathaniel did not have the time to mull it over.

"Let me think for a moment: we have the contacts to escape from Arles, we have the contacts to board a ship directed to Karthas and then we are on our own to Ios."

"Yes Nathaniel," sighed Kevin "that is it."

"When does the ship sail?" Asked Nathaniel.

"Thirteen days from now."

"So you are telling me we have eight days to acquire proof that the Regent is in cahoots with the bastard son of Akielos in order to usurp the throne?" Scoffed Nathaniel.

Silence stretched over them, the bitter realisation that time was not on their side had Nathaniel's stomach in knots.

"Yes." Admitted Jean, defeated.

"It is enough for today." Intervened Andrew, stepping out from the shadows of the room.

Always present, never participant.

"You." He jabbed a finger in Nathaniel's direction. "Come with me."

~

It should have been alarming, it should have been a sign but Nathaniel had lost his touch well before meeting Andrew. It should have also been very scary, realising that another person, another body -flesh and bones and sarcasm and the smoke of a pipe- could come to mean so much. Nathaniel should have known that from then on, it was a matter of steps. A step in the right direction and he would leave him behind and go back to his miserable life, a miserable life that was safe and right. A step in the wrong direction and he would give everything up for him, for someone he could not have but had become a part of him anyway.

That was what scared him the most, the fact that he knew when the time came -and the time was bound to come- he would put Andrew before anything else, even himself.

"Why aren't you with Riko?"

Nathaniel jumped at those words, only to relax when his mind registered to whom that small voice belonged. Still clear as a bell, but not for long.

Nicaise.

"Not your business." Replied Nathaniel, resuming his walk across the Palace. Unfortunately, like the annoying pest he was, Nicaise started following him unperturbed. The fact that Nathaniel only had a few inches on the child did not help.

"Oh yes, it is. I know _everything_."

Gods, this child was going to give him an ulcer.

"Alright, yes Nicaise. Now leave me alone." Sighed Nathaniel, speeding up in a vain attempt to leave Nicaise behind. Of course, the boy was far more tenacious than that. Nathaniel felt almost pleased at the realisation, although he would never admit it.

"I said I know everything, you dumb, short devil."

At that Nathaniel stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face his tormentor, he was about to speak and give the child something real to insult him for when Nicaise continued:

"You and Andrew exchanging spit on the roof."

The world stopped for a moment, the only thing Nathaniel was aware of was Nicaise's pleased smirk and those words echoing in his ears. Too loud. Too direct.

"Don't bother feigning or asking. Unfortunately I made a deal with the Akielon brute and no, I am not talking about the Prince's useless, dumb slave."

"What does that mean?" Asked Nathaniel, cautious. Nicaise rolled his eyes but instead of leaving -as it was typical of him- he took a step forward so that his next words came in a whisper.

"Andrew knows I am smart and he knows I am observant. He knows I see everything, so he made me promise whatever I saw, I would not tell anyone. It's a bit more complicated than that but you wouldn't understand." Explained Nicaise with disdain.

Andrew had told Nathaniel that his deal with Nicaise was childish, but this... this did not seem childish at all.

"And what do you get out of it?"

Nicaise seemed to think about the answer for a few moments, but when he replied it was with a wide, cunning smile on his face.

"Candy."

Then, he turned around and strolled down the corridor, leaving behind a stunned, speechless Nathaniel.

_Liar, liar, liar._

~

Five days passed. Their deadline was so close Nathaniel could feel its breath on his neck. They had absolutely nothing. Andrew was in Marches, it was a five days trip, but if he rode hard he would make it back to the Palace in seven.

Before leaving, they had exchanged truths and kisses and Nathaniel had learnt what incredible power Andrew's hands concealed. His mother had taught Nathaniel not to feel for anyone and when he had arrived at Evermore the phantom ache of her slaps and fists had made it very hard for him to learn how to be a pet. At the Palace, the Regent had touched him in a way nobody had touched him before, but Nathaniel had never felt the spark of desire, not with anyone until Laurent had come along. After the Prince, it was even worst: with the Regent he had been a child and he had been manipulated into submissiveness and loyalty, with Riko it was another story entirely. He despised Riko with a strength and a fire he thought he had lost long ago, his hatred had almost made him forget what intimacy, what pleasure was supposed to be like.

Then there had been Andrew. And Andrew asked, Andrew questioned, Andrew trusted, Andrew was rough with his gentleness and Nathaniel was so far gone it did not seem real. He still did not know how his body and mind worked, he had always thought there must be something wrong with him but, when he had told Andrew, the man had given him a look and suddenly Nathaniel knew there was _nothing_ wrong with him.

Andrew had left for Marches and Kevin had told Nathaniel he was assessing the situation for when they would have to be shipped to Akielos, but he had given Nathaniel more than a taste of what it could be like and now he was left thirsty and waiting. He knew that was no time to think about this -whatever _this_ was- but the lingering feeling of Andrew's lips and hands made it more than difficult for Nathaniel to focus on anything else.

"Nathaniel are you listening?"

He was in their usual room with Jean, Kevin being busy taking care of gods-know-what.

"Yes, sorry. Go on."

Jean sighed, scrubbing at his eyes as if it would be enough to erase the deep bags under them. They all looked worse for wear, that was for sure.

"No, it's enough for today. We aren't getting anywhere, maybe some rest will help, although I hardly believe in miracles."

_Ever the optimist, Moreau._

"Can I ask you something?" Spoke up Nathaniel.

He needed a distraction, if he kept thinking about Andrew the wait  
would seem even longer. Jean gave him a curious look, but nodded slowly.

"When I heard you talk to Andrew for the first time, that night outside of the ring room, you said something about family..."

Once again, Jean sighed. Deeply. There was an odd expression on his face, something that dangerously resembled sorrow, not that far from guilt.

"I don't know if Andrew explained it to you yet, but let me tell you how this all started."

It wasn't what Nathaniel had expected, but it was where he had wanted to get at.

"When Kevin escaped from Riko and ran to Wymack, Andrew had just left prison. No one knows why he never tried to... to do something, anything to make those false accusations fall, but he was in a bad situation before. Andrew met Aaron -his brother- at a wrestling match in Ios when he was seventeen. He hadn’t even known he had a brother before that day."

Nathaniel felt his brows draw in a frown.

"How is that possible?"

"When she came to Akielos, their mother put them both in the system because she thought she couldn't take care of them, but then she changed her mind and went back for Aaron. Andrew passed from foster home to foster home until he went to prison. He even refused Aaron's attempt at reconnecting."

"I... I don't understand." Admitted Nathaniel.

"Ah, right, it's because we don't have that here in Vere. In Akielos they created a net of sorts, a system, for children left on the streets. Families can take a child in and provide for them, they get paid for the expenses of course, but here's the catch: most of them do it for the money and simply do not care properly for the children. King Theomedes' idea was good, but he put too much faith in his people."

"Oh, so Andrew... "

"Andrew was in a bad situation before and after prison, even after Wymack managed to get him some sort of job at the Palace along with his brother and cousin. It's Kevin's arrival that changed everything. They made a deal: Kevin would give Andrew an incentive, a reason... something to look forward to and to make him live this life, in exchange for Andrew's protection."

It was a lot to take in, but it certainly cleared the waters in regards to a lot of Andrew's quirks. Although... 'a reason to live'? Had Andrew really reached that point? It did not make sense to Nathaniel, who had spent his whole life doing his best to survive. Death was not something he would ever give into or accept, except a few nights later he would do exactly that.

"So what about you?" He prompted.

"I was the monsters' contact in Vere. Kevin did give a reason to Andrew and it was this: justice, truth, maybe even revenge. Kevin knew something was up with the Regent and Wymack was aware of Kastor's plan. They could not prevent Damianos from being made a slave and deported to Vere, it would raise too many suspicions and would certainly not help take down the usurpers. There was someone else, though. Someone who would benefit from this coup."

"Laurent." Whispered Nathaniel.

"Laurent." Confirmed Jean. "I've been friends with Kevin my whole life because I used to work on the sidelines at Residence Evermore, my parents had a debt with the Moriyamas and sold me to pay for it. Luckily the only time I ever met Riko I was only a child, so when I received a letter from Kevin asking me to partake in this crazy, crazy revolution I realised I was pretty much guaranteed secrecy and cover at the Palace."

"You said yes."

Jean gave him a look, and gestured to himself.

"I'm here, aren't I?"

Nathaniel nodded, but there were still many things that did not make sense, so he asked:

"Then what?"

"Then I managed to convince my boss at Evermore that I would be of use at the Palace and spent a year trying to warm my way through the people who work here in order to get to the Prince. That's why I spoke about family: Laila, Alvarez... Jeremy, I can't remember what it's like to have a family but they feel a lot like one. I know I'll never see them again once I leave Vere and- and I don't know if I can survive it. But I have to, I have to and I will. For them, for the cause."

Nathaniel did not know what to say, he was not used to people confessing things to _him_. Hearing the emotion behind Jean's words was a bit too much, it fell a bit too close to home. Family had never meant a thing to him either, but when he thought about Andrew and Laurent, about Kevin and Jean and -Gods!- even Nicaise, he could not help but feel something warm starting to swell in his gut.

~

It was day seven. Andrew still hadn't come back, but at least Kevin had managed to get ahold of Wymack and explain their situation. Not that there was much to explain: they had no proof. Not a single word or testimony. Luckily, Nicholas -Andrew's cousin- knew of a merchant headed to Ladehors who, for the right sum, would be willing to ship them back to Akielos. The good thing was that by boarding with him, although it would take one or two days longer to get to Ladehors instead of Marches, they would gain four more days, all things considered.

It was good. It did not explain why Andrew was not back yet.

Nathaniel could not get him out of his head, he knew he was supposed to look for clues but his mind was elsewhere. Not even Riko's abuse or that odd sensation of being followed were enough to distract him from the uneasiness that had settled deep within him. He could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. Maybe he was being paranoid or maybe it was because he had finally found someone he cared for, someone he wanted back safe and sound. He had even told Jean and Kevin, but they had simply dismissed it as an unfounded worry. They would have been right, if not for what happened that night.

It had been agreed upon that they would all leave Arles in the middle of the night to work on a promising lead that Kevin had uncovered in a safe location. That included Andrew, but it was now eight in the evening and Andrew hadn't showed up yet. What had showed up in his stead, was a brief missive.

_It's taking longer than I expected. I'll see you directly at the meeting.  
Andrew_

The man carrying the missive was named Jord and was part of the Prince's Guard. “He is to be trusted” had explained Jean. Andrew would meet them out of Arles, everything had been set up so that Riko would leave Nathaniel in his own rooms, opting to lay with a new acquisition of the Palace that night. At midnight, they were ready to leave.

Little did they know Nathaniel had been right, but his worry was not unfounded. It was misplaced.

~

It was Nicaise who came to him, it was Nicaise who told him. Frantic and trembling.

It was: 'he tried to kill him, Nathaniel he tried to kill Laurent.'

And then: 'what are you talking about? Calm down, what happened?'

And then: 'we need to leave, you, me, Andrew and Jean. Don't you get it? They are going to think it was us.'

And then: 'do you have everything? Let's go.'

And then. And then Nathaniel saw him. He had one foot out of the door, the other still inside the Palace but he saw _him_. He stopped dead in his tracks, Kevin turned to him with a wild look in his eyes and hissed:

"What are you doing? We need to leave. Now!"

But Nathaniel wasn't listening and he surely wouldn't leave without Andrew.

"Andrew is here. I saw him, we can't leave without him."

"Andrew isn't here, you're imagining things because you're scared. Hurry up!"

But Nathaniel had seen him, he was more than sure. So he gave Kevin and Jean a long, appraising look and promptly turned around.

"What are you doing?" Shouted after him Kevin, the anger and tension in his voice almost tangible.

Nathaniel stopped for a moment.

"You go, I'll be there by morning. And don't-" he added once he saw Kevin was more than ready to answer back "don't give me that look. I'm Veretian and Riko's pet, no one will suspect me. I'll find a way to reach you."

After that, he did not bother to check if the two had followed the plan and left. He ran and ran and ran down those maze-like corridors in search for the only thing that mattered. Andrew.

It was not Andrew whom he found, though. It was Nicaise, again. It was a boy with a sleeping shirt too big for his small frame and blue eyes wide with something scarily resembling fear. Maybe it was meant to be, maybe he was to take a risk and stay and it was only by chance that he found Nicaise at the right time. Nathaniel did not really believe in fortune, though. No, the Palace had been, was and would always be his ally -even now, while he was preparing to leave it behind.

“Nathaniel.” Breathed Nicaise, and for once he looked exactly like the child he was.

“Nathaniel.” He said, again.

He was clutching something in his small hands, pressed tight against his chest as if it actually pained him to let go of it. It was dark, where they were. When Nathaniel had come barrelling at the beginning of the corridor, he had hardly seen him. Nicaise had been a small, fragile thing standing right in the middle, swallowed by darkness.

“Yes.” Replied Nathaniel at last, breathing heavily.

Nicaise watched him. And watched him and watched him before slowly extending his arms. The thing he was holding so desperately and that now laid on his trembling hands, was a piece of paper. No, it wasn’t just that: it was a letter. Nathaniel carefully pried it from Nicaise’s hold.

“What is this?” He asked.

“It was me,” started Nicaise “following you. It was me. I had to see, I had to see if it was right to give it to you, if you’d know how to use it. But there’s no time left, take it. Nathaniel, take it and don’t-“ his voice cracked “don’t forget about me.”

Nathaniel was left speechless, he stood there regarding the child in front of him. A child that, it felt painful to admit, was probably not that much of a child anymore. And for the first time, Nathaniel realised that it was not hatred what he felt for this kid. It was something else, it was maybe understanding, because Nicaise was him and he was Nicaise.

“What is this?”

One last, lingering look.

“It’s proof.”

~

He found him after twenty minutes of aimless wandering, he found him because there was only one place left for him to search. He found him in Riko’s rooms, a sword pointed at his heart.

With his heart in his throat and Nicaise’s letter burning in his pocket, he made himself known.

“Riko.”

As soon as he heard him, Riko’s eyes snapped to him, but his blade did not move one inch away from Andrew’s chest.

“You little slut, so nice of you to finally bless us with your presence.”

His words were venomous, but Nathaniel did not care. The only thing he cared about was Andrew’s safety and, right now, he was not in a position to bite back at Riko. He did not answer, but he did take a few steps forward, at least until Riko threatened to remove Andrew’s heart from his chest if he so much as thought about moving again.

“What are you doing? Let him go.” Asked Nathaniel, hoping to distract Riko in some way.

“Why would I do that? I’ll make you watch while I kill him.”

Nathaniel’s heart was beating so loud he was afraid Riko would hear it. He could not lose Andrew, not when he had just found him. Not ever.

“ _Please_ , let him go.” Begged Nathaniel through gritted teeth, but the man completely ignored him.

“I know all about you two.” Spat Riko. “The Regent was so kind as to let me know about your secret rendez-vous on the roof. Did you think I’d be stupid enough not to notice?”

That was the moment Nathaniel realised he knew what he had to do. Andrew had a sword on him, after all, he only needed time to grab it.

“Yes.” Replied Nathaniel, a cold smile slowly spreading on his features.

Riko’s hands twitched, but did not move. His eyes were alight with anger and lust for blood. Nathaniel was on the receiving end. Andrew hadn’t spared Nathaniel a glance, much less said a word.

“I own you, you are mine!” Roared Riko, the grip on his sword tightening.

It was startling, realising that he would do this for Andrew, realising that he would go against everything he had ever been taught if it meant Andrew would come out of this alive. It was scary, too, but it was the only way.

“You know, I get it. Being raised as a nobleman must be really, really difficult for you. Always a commodity, never a human being, not a single person at court thinking you’re worth a damn without your status -yeah, sounds rough. Laurent and I talk about your endless daddy issues all the time. I know it’s not entirely your fault that you are mentally unbalanced and infected with these delusions of grandeur, and I know you’re physically incapable of holding a decent conversation with anyone like every other normal human being can, but I don’t think I should have to put up with this much of your bullshit. No, you do not ‘own me’, so please, please, just shut the fuck up and leave us alone.”

It would be fitting to say that what happened next seemed to happen in slow motion, but the truth is that it was so fast Nathaniel couldn’t even finish his last word. He hardly felt it going in, it was when Riko retracted his sword that Nathaniel hissed. He still was not entirely aware of the situation, of the pain. He felt himself fall to his knees and he saw the blood on the floor, he looked for the wound with his hands and- _there, found it_. It was on his stomach, a bit to the right. There was a lot of blood and Nathaniel was distantly aware that he was hurting, quite a lot, but his attention was elsewhere.

There, right in front of him stood Andrew with a bloody sword in his hands, looking down at the still, bloody form of Riko Moriyama. He had gone for the heart.

When Andrew finally raised his head to look at him, Nathaniel was on his back on the floor, not even his knees could hold him up. He watched his lover - _his nothing his nothing his lover_ \- slowly kneel beside him, silent as a stone. There was something wrong, Nathaniel tried to memorise every single detail of that face. From the mole near his eye, to the scar on his chin. Dying like this was not cruel. Dying for the people he loved, dying for the cause, dying for Vere was peaceful.

“Thank you,” said Nathaniel, his voice raspy “you were amazing.”

He managed to hold onto reality for one second, one more second to think that there was something odd about Andrew and then everything went black.


	5. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, the epilogue. Thanks to everyone who sticked with me and this story, to all those who left kudos and comments, and all those who didn’t. Now that it’s over I can say it has been a challenge, English is not my first language and it’s the first time I’ve posted something for the world to see (and judge!).  
> Now that that’s been said, enjoy!:)

Sound came to him first. Someone was speaking, distressed, there was more than one voice. Then, he was unconscious again.

The second time, he felt hands on him, too. He was being carried, he could feel arms around him and his head dangling uncomfortably. He could feel the pain in his abdomen and something sticky on his hands. As soon as he realised it was blood and what had happened came back to him, he was out cold.

When he woke up, then, he managed to stay conscious. He was laying on a bed, the covers were rough and itchy on his bare skin. That was the second thing he noticed, before opening his eyes: he was not wearing a shirt but there was something draped over the lower part of his torso. Adapting his eyes to the sunlight that came from a small window above him was a hard task, it took him minutes of battling his eyelids and scrubbing them with his knuckles. That hurt, too. Moving in general hurt.

His head seemed to be immersed in cotton, he felt disconnected, hazy. Looking around, he took in the closed door in front of him and the wooden table to his right, there was nothing else in the room. His hands automatically went to his stomach, feeling the roughness of the garze that someone had patched him up with.

Andrew. He had to find Andrew. Andrew who had killed Riko, Andrew who must have been the one to take him here, wherever he was. So, he tried to stand. Needless to say, it hurt so much that it made him even dizzier, but Nathaniel knew how to work through pain. A lifetime of abuse had taught him that, at least. He struggled, careful of the bandages and his wound, and finally made it to a sitting position. He was breathing hard, clenching his teeth in an attempt to stifle his grunt of pain. If it wasn’t for the sturdy, high bedpost he probably would not have been able to get on his feet.

Nathaniel limped to the door, keeping a close distance to the walls in case his legs failed him. He was about to turn the knob, when the door slammed open in front of him. The shock made him almost fall back on the floor, but a pair of hands steadied him. Nathaniel knew those hands, they were strong and calloused and -they were not. The hands on his arms were soft and smooth, but the person they belonged to could not be anybody but Andrew.

“Andrew.” Breathed Nathaniel, relieved. Seeing him here, _feeling_ him... everything proved that Andrew was alive. And he was here, in front of him, Nathaniel could touch him and breath in his scent and tangle his hands in those blond locks and kiss him-

“I’m not Andrew.”

_What _? Nathaniel felt as if the breath had been knocked out of him. That was not possible, the dreading feeling that the past month might have only been a dream came at Nathaniel like a tidal wave. His heart was racing but he could not let himself lose focus, the man in front of him was undoubtedly Andrew Minyard. Except that maybe he wasn’t.__

____

A brother, Andrew had talked about a brother but Nathaniel did not think- a twin? Could it be possible?

____

“You are Aaron.”

____

Andrew-not-Andrew raised a brow, his expression half annoyed, half impressed.

____

“I am, and you should be in bed.”

____

Nathaniel opened his mouth to retort, he needed to know where the real Andrew was, what had happened and what would happen now that Riko was dead, he needed to know if Laurent was okay and if their plan was still accounted for, but Aaron promptly clamped a hand over his mouth and dragged him, if carefully, over to the bed. Once Nathaniel was laying on the sheets again, Aaron started talking.

____

“It was me with Riko, at the Palace. I arrived a few days ago with a ship directed to Marches because Andrew knew he was being followed by the Regent’s men. I was at the Palace as a diversion so that Andrew could go with Kevin. We were not expecting an attempted murder involving the Prince, obviously.”

____

It took a moment for those words to sink in, Nathaniel had taken a blade in the stomach for Andrew’s brother, not Andrew himself. He did not know if the knowledge made him annoyed or grateful.

____

“Don’t give me that look, it was my stupid brother’s idea not to tell you or the others anything. Plus, it’s your fault if Andrew almost got himself killed last night after he received my missive.”

____

Nathaniel felt his eyes go wide.

____

“What?”

____

“We are currently in Arles, it’s a safe place: Abby the physician’s house. I managed to inform the others about what happened and, of course, Andrew tried to come here even though guards are looking for Prince Damianos and any Akielon they can find all over town.”

____

Nathaniel ignored Aaron’s tone and his eye-roll.

____

“Is he okay? Where are they? What happened?”

____

“Shut up, will you? I’ll get there.”

____

Once again, Nathaniel felt the urge to slap that clone in front of him. How he and Andrew could be so similar, yet so different was a mystery to him.

____

“They are safe and sound at the meeting point, don’t worry. Once everything dies down a little we’ll catch up with them and we’ll board the ship in Ladehors.”

____

“What about this?” Asked Nathaniel, gesturing to his wound.

____

“After killing Riko I took you to Abby, we stitched you up and we managed to leave the Palace with her disguising you as a wounded guard. We will leave Arles with a wagon and pretend Abby and I need to get medical supplies from a few towns over, you’ll stay in the wagon of course.”

____

“I’m fine, I can ride.” Argued Nathaniel.

____

“No, you can’t and I won’t risk us getting caught. The plan is perfect, both me and Abby have had our medical licence modified to be recognised as Veretians.”

____

“So you’re a physician?”

____

Aaron nodded and, without saying another word, stomped to the door. Before opening it, though, he stopped for a second. He did not turn to look at Nathaniel, but his hand hovered over the knob.

____

“Would you have done it for my brother, or was it petty revenge against Riko?”

____

The change of topic startled Nathaniel, but there was no doubt what his answer would be. What Andrew and him had was between them, Nathaniel had lacked privacy his whole life but he had found it with Andrew.

____

“None of your business.”

____

Aaron did not react, he stood still, thoughtful. Maybe he knew, maybe he did not. Whatever he was thinking about, he did not tell Nathaniel. Instead, he simply exited the room leaving him behind with all of his thoughts and worries.

____

~

____

The journey in the wagon was uncomfortable to say the least, but Nathaniel supposed that riding a horse would have been a thousand times worse. The guards had managed to catch Damianos quickly and Aaron’s plan had been rushed into motion. They had been stopped a few times on the way, but apparently Abby knew someone pretty good at what they did if their forged licences were not questioned in the slightest. Now, as they approached the yard of a small country house, the only thing in Nathaniel’s mind was the future.

____

What if he did not recover enough to travel for Ladehors? What if his father caught a whiff of his escape and sent his men on a hunt?

____

Those questions were never aswered because the doors of the wagon slammed open as soon as they came to a stop. When Nathaniel looked up, his heart skipped a beat. It was Andrew, this time it was really him and the boy did not know how he managed to distinguish the twins but _he did_. Andrew was right there in front of him and he was safe and in his hurry to jump down from the wagon to get to him, Nathaniel almost forgot about his wound.

____

He flinched hard once his feet touched the ground and failed him, Andrew was there though. He stopped him from falling over and held him so tight it almost hurt. Nathaniel let himself go limp in those strong arms, arms that had held him up more times that he could count, arm that he hoped would protect him as long as he’d let them. He breathed, deeply. Andrew’s smell and the heat emanating from his body were enough to calm his racing heart. When he looked at him, Andrew had anger printed across his face. It was startling, seeing an emotion on those features that Nathaniel knew by heart.

____

“I- I’m sorry.”

____

There was movement behind Andrew, but the man tightened his hold on Nathaniel and snapped his head back.

____

“Get away from us.” He threatened.

____

Like this, in Andrew’s arms, Nathaniel felt safe in a way he had never felt before. Andrew had promised him protection, but had given him much more. He had given him trust, truth and life.

____

_Sunrise, Abram, death. These are truths_.

____

“You fool, what have you done?” Whispered Andrew. It was not for the sake of intimacy, it was purely functional, so that the others wouldn’t listen on their conversation. Nathaniel felt his chest constrict anyway.

____

“I thought he was you. I couldn’t-“ swallow, deep breath “I couldn’t let him hurt you. That _bastard_ , that son of a bitch. If he’d touched you, I swear-“

____

“Hush.” Interrupted him Andrew, a hand pressed to his lips. “Hush.” He repeated.

____

But Nathaniel knew, he always knew when it came to Andrew.

____

It ended there, Andrew distanced himself but kept his arm around Nathaniel to help him walk inside. There, the boy told everyone about what had happened with the lingering taste of Andrew’s skin still on his lips.

____

That night, he met Andrew in the yard and they kissed. They kissed and kissed and kissed and Nathaniel told him about Nicaise’s letter. They would tell the others, tomorrow. For now, they still had the night and that kind of urgency that came after a near-death experience, when the frightening feeling of losing someone was erased by the knowledge that they were safe and they were there and they were _yours_.

____

~

____

The port of Ladehors was busy enough that they could pass for simple travellers, it was a blur of people walking, running, chatting, screaming. Children pretending to be pirates, women persuading other women into buying cloth _just imported from Akielos, ladies, only the best cotton. _Workers unloading charges and sailors exchanging friendly words and claps on the back. It was chaos and it was perfect.__

______ _ _

From his spot on the bow of the ship, Nathaniel looked down at all those people and felt an odd sensation, knowing they did _not_ know. They knew nothing about what was going on in their country, about the lies and injustices that spread from the court right to the border. It made his stomach churn, it made his thirst for justice even stronger.

______ _ _

“Feeling emotional?”

______ _ _

He did not turn around, he knew that voice and he would have known it everywhere. Nathaniel shrugged and felt some kind of warmth when Andrew settled beside him, his elbows leaning on the railing. They kept quiet for a while, even when the ship sailed. Even when the port was nothing but a small dot on the horizon.

______ _ _

“Prince Laurent has been sent to the border, he’s bringing Prince Damianos along.”

______ _ _

“I know.” Replied Nathaniel, turning to look at Andrew. The man kept gazing at the ocean.

______ _ _

“You know what that means, right?”

______ _ _

Nathaniel breathed. In and out. He knew.

______ _ _

“We need to get that letter to Laurent as soon as possible.”

______ _ _

Andrew nodded, stony and pensive. Nathaniel could not keep his eyes away from him. After a while, Andrew finally allowed himself to spare a glance in Nathaniel’s direction. His gaze stayed there.

______ _ _

“You are scared.”

______ _ _

Andrew’s voice was steady, his eyes knowing.

______ _ _

“I am.” Admitted Nathaniel with a sigh. “The last time I ran, it did not end well. People will come looking for us, my _father’s_ people will come looking for _me_.”

______ _ _

Andrew did not waste a second.

______ _ _

“They’ll come looking for Nathaniel.”

______ _ _

The boy felt his breath itch in his throat. His eyes felt blurry, his heart was beating almost painfully in his chest.

______ _ _

“I don’t want to be Nathaniel anymore.” He whispered, as if admitting it would make it impossible.

______ _ _

Andrew pressed two fingers against his throat, eyes locked on Nathaniel’s.

______ _ _

“Then don’t.”

______ _ _

Nathaniel laughed, bitter.

______ _ _

“It’s not that easy.”

______ _ _

Andrew retreated his fingers and went back to staring at the horizon. He shrugged.

______ _ _

“It is.”

______ _ _

Could he, really? Could he let go of his past? He had found a family, he had found himself after being lost so long at the mercy of his abusers. All of that thanks to Andrew. If he said it would be that easy, maybe he was right.

______ _ _

They stayed silent for a while, after that. The ocean in front of them turned from indigo to a deep blue as time passed and the night approached. It was Andrew who got up first, Nathaniel hadn’t even noticed they had sat down in the first place. Watching him loom over him, his hair almost white in the moonlight, Nathaniel felt something shift inside him. He _trusted_ him.

______ _ _

When Andrew gave him one last look and made to turn around and leave, Nathaniel shot to his feet.

______ _ _

“Wait.”

______ _ _

Andrew stopped, he slowly, oh so slowly turned his head. Expectant. Nathaniel looked at him, at the man who was now his rock, his anchor and said:

______ _ _

“Neil, I’ll be Neil Josten.”

______ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> I am aware that Andrew and Nathaniel might seem a bit ooc and I apologise for that. However this is an AU so their behaviour/mannerism must fit the Versailles/Ancient Greece court.


End file.
